|
Obituaries
|
Moving Day for Mike
Mike Vance (Harvey E. Vance, Jr.)
November 24, 1941 - July 4, 2008
Friday, July 4th, 2008 came like any other 4th of July – people traveling, getting ready for camping trips, picnics, hot dogs and hamburgers. These kinds of regular 4th of July experiences for most people – but, not for one man – for he was experiencing a different kind of celebration into freedom and independence.
This man, Dr. Mike Vance, was experiencing his own kind of 4th of July, for it was on this day, that he died at age 66 – and that he experienced freedom from suffering and pain and an independence that he had not known for a long time. He was finally released from the surely bonds of Parkinson's, from which he suffered over 30 years.
Mike was born in Columbus, Ohio to Harvey and Phyllis Vance in 1941. He had one older sister, Patsy, a person he always adored and admired. During his growing up years in Columbus, he was honored to be named ‘Teenager of the Year'. He and his family had many fun experiences growing up above their father's grocery store in Columbus.
He was a wonderful athlete – going to college, Otterbein, on a full scholarship excelling both in basketball and left-handed pitching for the baseball team.
Mike's family was a typical American family – going to Houghton Lake, Michigan each year for a vacation (fishing, good meals, swimming, extended family get-togethers) and each year on Memorial Day meeting at the Lake White Club for a Vance family gathering and then going together to Piketon to put flowers on the graves of people who had gone before. Mike always described these fun family reunions as a time of remembrance and of celebration of those lives that they all had known.
His life-long love of shoes – the smell, the texture, the feel – everything about shoes - came from working with his father during his young years where his dad managed the Keen's Shoe store in Columbus. Again, this was a family operation, with all family members participating to some degree in the store (as they had the grocery store).
In High School, at Linden McKinley HS, Mike was very well liked by his many friends. It was there that he met his first love, Miss Linda Brill. They were married in Columbus and went on to have four daughters, Stephanie, Holly, Julie and Miranda.
During this period of his life, Mike attended Graduate School in Florida, receiving a Masters Degree in English. Throughout these early years, Mike taught High School English. Back in Worthington, Ohio he conceived of, started and ran an alternative school for kids with learning difficulties. He seemed to always have a special sensitivity for kids with learning problems. This school, which is such a legacy to Mike, is still running today.
One unfortunate part of his teaching experience was teaching a High School Biology class about crawdads. The crawdad bit Mike in the finger and wouldn't let go- a lesson the kids never forgot. (And neither did Mike)
After this first part of his life, Mike moved to Denver, Colorado, where he would marry again and begin the second half of his life. While here, he married Betsy Fox and from this wonderful union came two boys, Garrett and Jordan Vance. They all enjoyed traveling a lot – especially to Hawaii, Palm Springs and to Holland Lake, Montana. While in Colorado, Mike was a Vice Principal at Brighton High School and Principal of Commerce City Middle School, as well as on the adjunct faculty of the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Mike and his family moved to Friday Harbor, Washington, where ‘headers', ‘gutters' and ‘slimers', became their new friends. Mike always got a kick out of telling people that these were the professional titles of their new friends – the men and women who worked in the salmon cannery business. (That is how it is in the salmon cannery business ‘Headers – take off the heads of salmon … slimmers and gutters... ahem... Bless those cannery packers and fishermen).
Mike took over the as the Principal of the K-12 school district. A whole new life of living on an island, making many friends and getting involved in book groups, plays, boating, crab pots, sailing and a new-found appreciation for a simpler life was found while Mike and Betsy were in Friday Harbor. They always remembered with much fondness the many friends they made while in the San Juans. While there, Mike and Betsy had their son, Garrett.
After several years, Mike was offered the position as Asst. Supt. of Curriculum and Instruction in Missoula, Montana. As part of his job description, he was the Supervisor of the Missoula Principals in Missoula District 1.
All moved to Missoula, where another son (Jordan) was born. Many ideas came to fruition under Mike's tenure in the Missoula School District. He was involved in changing and implementing the concept from Junior High School to Middle School. Additionally, he was instrumental in getting a sex and health curriculum developed in the middle schools. He also was instrumental in getting early childhood education integrated into the system.
Mike was so talented at truly listening to people, to hearing their stories and helping them to listen to each other. Hundreds of times, in Colorado, Washington State and Missoula, Montana, you could find Mike in the middle of a big (or small) group in conflict – and his kind, brilliant and uplifting manner could always bring these groups into some kind of agreement or consensus. His mark was an absolute unconditional regard for people, combined with kindness and a true desire for understanding divergent points of view.
He was nominated for and won the Educator of the Year for the State of Montana. So many times people would write him or stop him to thank him for all he did to help them and to listen to their stories and help solve big and little problems. He was so admired and well liked – even by people who disagreed with him.
As the Parkinsons began to slow Mike down, he developed new interests – playing the guitar, the harmonica, singing and book groups. Additionally, he had a very strong spiritual commitment – always trying to strengthen it.
When he finally had to quit completely due to the ravages of the disease, Mike began writing extensively, eventually writing over 200 poems and stories – eloquent, poignant, moving, clever and real – always reflecting in the pain and joy of life.
Mike loved reading – Ariel and Will Durant – the Civilization of Life, about Abraham Lincoln, Shakespeare, the Bible, about other religions, history, poetry, Robert Frost, Bill Moyer's interviews of Joseph Campbell, Kim Williams. He loved bowling (gathering many trophies in his lifetime), baseball, hiking and music.
Mike is survived by his father, Harvey E. Vance, Sr. and his sister, Pat Riddle, both of Stoutsville. Mike is also survived by his three daughters, Holly Wintermeier of Tampa, Julie Schweizer of Orlando, Miranda Morgan of Tampa and two sons, Garrett Vance of Seattle, Washington and Jordan Vance of Brooklyn, NY. Additionally, he has seven grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and lots of friends from all periods of his life. He was preceded in death by his mother, Phyllis Vance and daughter, Stephanie Vance.
A special thanks to these people, Claudia and Gary Brown and Steve Zeiler, who helped Mike along the very difficult path that he had to transverse the last years and months of his life. It must be said that Mike never gave up and remained eternally optimistic and positive to the end.
Although he tackled some difficulties in his life, he always was grateful for those people who could see beyond his struggles to the genuine, kind, witty, brilliant and amazing person that he was. He felt such gratitude in his life for the good he had experienced and regret for things that had happened which he couldn't undo. And always, he felt great, great love for his five children.
If you have any special memories of Mike that could shared in a service, or be given to his children, please e-mail them to Betsy Vance at Makapu5@aol.com or call her at 509-308-0428.
Mike's Memorial/Celebration of Life Service was be held at the University Congregational Church at 401 University Ave., Missoula, Montana on August 1st at 4 p.m.
Beloved Mike, you are finally home.
Me ke Aloha Pumehana no kau a kau
|
