Beloved son, cherished brother, precious nephew, treasured friend, all-around good guy, Michael J Mocek, 42, of Perrysburg, Ohio, passed away on Thursday, May 25 surrounded by loved ones.He was born on January 27, 1981, to Albin and Brenda.
Left to miss and mourn him are his mother Brenda of Perrysburg, sisters Dana of Columbus and Elizabeth “Libbe” of Chicago, Aunt Linda Smith of Toledo, uncles Gerald (Marie) and James (Cheryl) of Toledo, favorite 4-legged buddy Gretel, and adoring 4-legged nieces Daisy, Cricket, Sunny, and Stella.
Aggressive cancer and its many complications took him from us. Despite his diagnosis, Mike never complained – and he never let it change who he was. He faced every obstacle with steadfast bravery and strength while remaining stoic and incredibly sweet until his final moments.
He left this earth far too soon, like his father Al “Sonny” before him, and he will finally be at rest next to his dad following a private graveside ceremony. Also preceding Michael in death were his grandparents Albin and Dorothy Mocek, Elmer and Ruth Nollenberger, Uncle Howard E Smith, and Aunt Janice Nollenberger.
Michael loved his family and friends, golf, Atlanta Braves baseball, and Notre Dame football — not necessarily in that order.
Mike was a proud employee of the Toledo Refining Company where he managed a warehouse working nonstop during the pandemic, and then up to 70 hours a week throughout the ravages of his illness. While there, he was pleased to find an enduring friend in Mike Erwin, whose friendship and support became invaluable. Whether working side by side, golfing, ducking his Jeep, or just hanging out with his family, Michael treasured those times. He so appreciated being welcomed into the lives of Mike and his wife Leslie – we thank you for making him feel at home with the Erwins.
Mike was a graduate of Eastwood High School where he excelled in academics and athletics captaining the football, basketball, and baseball teams his senior year. He attended The Ohio State University and the University of Toledo. During his time in Columbus, he developed lasting friendships with Patrick, Kelson, Derek, and Wes. Some of his fondest memories were traveling with them to South Bend on crisp, fall Saturdays to cheer on the Irish.
Michael committed much time to developing and maintaining the website IrishEnvy.com with a group of like-minded, avid Irish fans. While his love of Irish football was baked into his DNA, he watched with keen interest any ND sport – at times on several screens spanning the living room wall. His pure joy and enthusiasm in being on campus was a delight to witness and impossible not to get caught up in.
We will miss his relentless sarcasm, quick wit, and sharp intellect. He was our go-to tech expert, especially for Mom and Aunt Linda, whom he helped discover the realm of ring tones and alerts from his ICU bed. Most of all we will miss his hearty bear hugs and sly green-eyed grin.
Mike was not a guy who liked to talk about himself, so his struggle with illness during the last year was something he kept close. In his final days he wished to convey his truly heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of love and concern from those who knew him.
We are a family that believes in science and medicine and are grateful that Michael had access to healthcare and the excellent caregivers who came into his life this past year. Wonderful, compassionate nurses, doctors, and others from St Charles, St Vincent, and Perrysburg Mercy Health and Cancer Center will always be remembered for treating our dear Michael with love and kindness. Thank you to Stacey, Kelly, Lisa, Mindy, Matt, Lewis, Aaron, Nikki, Andrea, Jennifer, Miguel, Dr. Mike, and so many more.
A celebration of Mike’s life will be held on Saturday, July 29, at Belmont Country Club, Perrysburg, Ohio from 1 – 4 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Michael with a tribute gift to EC Aware at ecaware.org/give/donate or sending a donation in his honor for the weight room at Eastwood (make checks payable to Eastwood Schools with Mike Mocek in memo; mail to 4900 Sugar Ridge Rd., Pemberville, OH 43450). Online condolences may be made to the family at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com.
