Tributes

Below you will find a collection of the tributes delivered by each speaker during the ceremony.

By Stephanie Marshburn

Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for being here to celebrate my Dad’s life.   My dad was a man of honesty, integrity and dignity.  He never saw anyone’s limitations but only their possibilities.  The last few months have been extremely challenging to us all, but I’ve witnessed the most incredible display of human compassion. As you look around this room today, each of you are here because my dad has touched your life in some way.  Seeing the incredible number of people who have cared and loved my Dad has truly been amazing.  Something important I discovered during this process is when people would come to pray for Dad or be there for him – he didn’t want that.  He wanted to support and encourage them in their life and struggles.  He truly was a man with a mission and nothing was going to deter that, not even cancer.

My dad was a man of great faith and believed that this was God’s plan.  When he told me this I said I’d like God to come up with a new plan as this one wasn’t working for me.  He just laughed and told me God was in control.  As much as I miss my Dad and I truly miss him each minute of the day.  I know he’s in a better place, looking down on us while smiling that each of you has come to celebrate his life.

Dad was an incredible athlete and in such great shape that most people who met him couldn’t believe his age.  Last summer he and Monica were visiting and we took the kids out for ice-cream.  When Dad went to pay and asked for his senior discount (because he always loved a good bargain) the cashier actually carded him as she didn’t believe he qualified for the discount.   As you can imagine it made his day and week!

As I mentioned earlier, each of you are here today because my Dad has touched your life in some special way.  I’ve come to learn that thru this process my Dad’s legacy is his ability to share – whether it’s about God, his beloved Gators, or just catching up on your life.  As a little girl I didn’t appreciate this since wherever we would go my Dad always knew someone so our ten minute errand would suddenly turn into a 45 minute visit.  I’ve come to understand that as much as my Dad would give, it was what he received in return that he treasured most. He felt so encouraged by each of you and the stories of your lives.  During the last few months your calls, letters, and visits were the pinnacle of his day.  He could be having a rough day, but when his cell phone would ring (because it never left his side) you could see his face light up and feel the love and warmth emanating from his conversation.  Thank you all for being that encouragement to him as it meant the world.

As many of you know, I moved away to California when I was in middle school.  Despite the miles between us we managed to stay amazingly close.  I contribute that to my Dad’s sensitivity and nurturing as a parent.  He was always a Dad I could talk to about anything and everything.  Well, almost anything…I quickly learned we differed on politics and any debate, I mean discussion was a losing endeavor.   And introducing a new boyfriend, well that was a bit of a challenge. Nothing was off limits and he made “Meet the Press” look like a cake walk.   Luckily for me, one made it through!

My Dad has always been my rock and invincible to me.  He is the core of who I am.  He is the one who lights up with a huge smile and great big bear hug when I walk into a room.   He is the kind of Papa who flies out to see his grand daughter who he hadn’t met yet because he just couldn’t wait.

He is the most influential man in my life and I aspire to have half the integrity he exhibited.  I will miss him every day and will especially miss that Ben and Hailey won’t know him in the way we have.  I ask that each of you carry forward his legacy and share the stories that define my dad so my children can experience what an amazing Papa they’ve had.

My Dad is a man I love so deeply and I’m incredibly sad he left so soon.  Please know “Team Kessler” will carry on and we’ll all aspire to make my Dad proud.

By Greg Wiggins

My name is Greg Wiggins, a long time close friend of Mike’s.  A lot has been said about this incredible man.  I would venture to guess that probably most of you in this audience would love to come up here behind this podium and tell us how Mike impacted your life.  I am thankful and grateful that I am one of the few who has this opportunity.  We lost a giant!  Michael was a great man whom we all loved, admired and respected.  I don’t think many of us realized just how much Mike influenced our lives, until now, now that he is gone.  Michael has left a void that will never be filled.

There is a small group of us who spent a lot of time with Mike in the backcountry, and we eventually gave him his nickname, “The General”.  I believe it happened on a hut trip one winter back in the 80’s.  The name was fitting.  Mike acted like a General.  He was a “take charge” individual.  He was a man of great courage, confidence, and discipline, and always commanded respect.  And Mike was a soldier.  He was a soldier for Christ.  He always wore the breastplate or the armor of God, as he went into battle each day for the Lord.  Mike was also a Promise Keeper who kept his promises.  Mike meant what he said and would never let you down.  He would call me often, just to talk or make arrangements to do something together.  He was a true friend who never waivered in that friendship.

My time with the General was full of laughter, joy, adventure, and accountability.  I spent numerous days and nights pursuing adventures in the mountains with Mike.  The activities seemed endless: backcountry skiing into the Tenth Mountain Huts; telemark skiing at the ski areas, climbing fourteeners, backpacking, snowshoeing, winter survival outings, hiking, and his main love, cycling.  Then there were the annual family camping trips to Lathrop State Park every Labor Day weekend.  He loved this trip and, of course, we would take our bikes.  One day we would ride to the top of Cuchara Pass, and the next day to the top of La Veta Pass.  We always got a kick out of Monica, because she would eventually get tired of the tent and the bugs, get up early in the morning, jump into the car to read a book or drive into town to get coffee and a newspaper.

Mike had his idiosyncrasies that we would just laugh about.  Whenever he told a story, it would take him forever to get to the point.  Monica and Sally would have to urge him on “ Mike, just get to the point”.  Or they would start talking about something else before Mike finished.  When Mike was in my vehicle, he would push the radio buttons until he found the music He wanted to listen to, and adjust the air flow to a temperature He was comfortable with.  Like Frank Sinatra says, Mike did it his way.  Mike had a problem with Navigation sometimes.  Skiing into the huts he would often stop and say “Pilgrim, are you sure we are headed in the right direction.  Are we on the right trail?”  I would reply’ “Yes, General, we are headed in the right direction”.  Pilgrim, by the way, is the nickname Mike gave me.  It comes from our favorite movie, Jeremiah Johnson.  What Mike didn’t realize, is that he was always going in the right direction.  He was always on the right path with his life.  Some hours later we would arrive at the hut.  There were usually other people there from different parties.  Within 5 minutes Mike would know everyone there and everyone would know Mike and also know that he was a Christian.  He didn’t hide it.  That was Mike.  His favorite hut was Margy’s and his favorite place to ski was the back bowls of Mt. Yekel.  If you ever have the chance to go up there in the wintertime, Mike would highly recommend it.

I must tell you how I met Mike.  As some of you know I run an outdoor adventure and survival school that I started in 1979.  Well, in 1982 I was teaching a winter survival course, actually it was late fall, October/November, at the Pikes Peak YMCA downtown.  Mike signed up for the class along with about 25 to 30 other people.  It was 6 weeks long, a pretty intense course, with 2 classroom sessions per week culminating with 2 weekend outings in the mountains. Mike was a dedicated student and never missed a class.  When the first weekend came around there were about 12 to 15 people who attended, Mike being one of them.  Two weeks later toward the end of November, was the second and most challenging outing.  This was the solo outing when I set the participants in a remote area alone for the weekend with no sleeping bag, a little food, wool blanket, 3 matches and a small survival kit.  Well, guess how many people showed up for this outing?  One, and guess who it was.  Michael Kessler.  Mike did a great job meeting the challenge.  I knew after this weekend that Mike and I would be friends for life.  Because, you see, Mike was not a quitter.  When he decided to do something, he gave it his all.

Mike centered his life around the 3 F’s; Faith, Family, and Friends.  In the end that’s all that really matters.  Call this what you will, a dedication, a ceremony, a memorial service, but it really is a celebration of a guy that was like a brother to me, a dad, a cousin, an uncle, a mentor, and as I would say to him jokingly, a granddad.  He was the total package.  I could write a book about Mike, and maybe someday I will, or somebody will.  It would be an example of how men should live their lives.  So men, let’s learn from the lessons Mike has taught us.  Unconditional love for our God, our country, our family, and our friends.  God bless Mike, and God bless Monica, Steph, Drew, and all of you Mike’s friends.  Thank you!

By Steve Schuck

Michael – we hardly knew ye!

Others will be talking about the important things in your life that most of us know about like:

• Hockey refereeing – Did those who yelled at you for being 1/2 blind know what they were talking about?
• Managing an ice rink
• Coaching soccer
• Being in real estate
• Working at UCCS
• Rooting for the Gators
• Riding your bike – some of us remember when you first got rid of your training wheels
• Cross country skiing in three feet of deep fluff or just your obsession with physical fitness
• Carrying on the mission of Promise Keepers

But let me talk about what you and I shared personally and privately, sometimes with Monica and Joyce, but often just the two of us.

We had some good times and some real laughs.  Like the time we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner and you opened your fortune cookie and it said, “Ignore previous cookie”.

After you got sick, you became a new man – a man totally focused on being strong – strong physically, emotionally, morally, and spiritually.  You were a pillar of strength!  During your illness, you demonstrated extraordinary courage-

• Physically – you endured so much, most of it voluntarily, doing so with an indomitable spirit of optimism
• Morally – you had unfinished business and you were committed to finishing it
• Familially – you set an example, you walked the walk, hand in hand with Monica,  demonstrating for Stephanie, Drew, Todd, Ben, & Haley how precious life really is and how important it is to fight the good fight

Over the past few years, you handled unbelievable, indescribable stress and pain with both toughness and character that inspired us all.

Let me conclude by quoting a well-known politician.  Out of respect for the bipartisan nature of those here, he shall be unnamed.  But he said, “If you have character, nothing else matters.  If you don’t have character, nothing else matters”.

Well, Michael, your valiant battle taught us all, especially Monica, Drew, Stephanie, Todd, Ben, & Haley, what character is all about.

All of us will cherish our memories of our good times with you, but nothing will be more enduring than the lessons you taught us about facing adversity with grace, dignity, strength, courage, and yes, character!

Sleep well, my friend.

By Mike Grainger

I have only known Mike for a few years, but I am a better man today because of him and I am sure a lot of us here today would echo that sentiment. Two things stand out to me about his life – his passion to help people, especially men, live their lives to their full potential and his unwavering faith in the face of great affliction.

Mike’s relationship with God brought out a quality and zeal for life that inspired us all. You knew after only being around him a short while that he really cared and that he believed in you. His words and actions brought value to the lives of those he met.  He knew when to speak a word of encouragement and when to give you a kick in the butt.  I was in his men’s group and also cycled with him, so I speak from experience.

Mike had a way of helping people look life in the eye and point them to Jesus, that was the secret to his living life to the fullest and he had a passion to help others do the same – his battle with cancer only made that passion stronger.

One of his favorite passages from the Bible, Ps 92:12-15 reflects that passion. It says:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock.  That passage not only reflected his passion but also his life!

He had his share of struggles with cancer, but in his heart he wasn’t resentful toward God or others. Instead he used his cancer as an opportunity to encourage others. In our men’s group he would often remind us of where our focus needed to be.  He used to say: “Guys, this isn’t about me, kay- this is all about Him! For Mike those were not just idle words, but words he lived by. As long as he had the strength to talk he would usually have a word of encouragement for those who stopped by to visit or those he came across.

I remember one of those occasions very clearly. I had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with Mike during his battle with cancer. Shortly after he found out there was nothing more the doctors could do, hospice began making visits.  On this particular day he was in a fair amount of pain and the hospice nurse assistant was late.  She finally showed up an hour behind schedule.

When Mike opened the door I could tell she was stressed out.  She apologized for being late and explained she had been in a car accident over the weekend and was running behind.  I will never forget what happened next.  His response gave no indication that he was a man dying of cancer.

Mike asked her if she was ok, if anyone else was hurt in the accident and about her car.  She was pretty sore, but not seriously injured and the car sustained minor damage.  As she and Mike walked into the living room to start his treatment, he stopped her in the kitchen and suggested we pray for her. He had never met her before, but by the time he was finished praying I could see a sense of relief on her face and peace in her eyes. By what happened next she obviously felt safe and cared for.

As she was treating Mike they continued to talk.  I was working in the kitchen and could hear their entire conversation.  It turns out her husband is deployed and she is trying to raise their children on her own.  She told Mike her oldest daughter, who is only 14, was recently arrested for the second time and began to cry.  I could hear Mike sharing some verse from his Bible with her and giving her some fatherly counsel. Just as she was finishing, Mike got a phone call, she walked into the kitchen beaming, looked at me and said, “I think I just had a counseling session.”  She came to the house weary and broken hearted and left with a new found hope.  I remembered Mike’s words “Guys, this isn’t about me, kay- this is all about Him!

I will never forget that – like Jesus ministering to one of the two thieves when he was dying on the cross, Mike took the opportunities God gave him even when he was dying of cancer to minister to and encourage the people God brought into his life. Mike left us with a lot of good memories to cherish, but he also left us an example to follow.  By God’s grace and as we have opportunity, let us continue the work of making a difference in the lives of others—to be Ambassadors for Christ, because as Mike would say, “it’s not about us is all about Him!”

By ORWYN SAMPSON

Mike Kessler died at 9:33 PM, Saturday June 28, 2008 following a year-long battle with cancer.

Mike was a good friend of mine.

He was a good friend of lots of people. [Look around.]

Friends share experiences with one another.  You laugh together.  One time I took Mike to an FCA dinner and he went through the serving line three times.  I apologized to the group and said, “You have to excuse Mike.  He suffers from that new eating disorder, Bulimic Alzheimer’s.  That’s where you overeat and then you forget to throw up.”  He never let me forget that.

Although he may not have done a lot of throwing up, Mike threw himself into life.  He was passionate about everything he did.  He threw himself into his marriage and family with Monica and Stephanie and Drew.  He threw himself into, and was a model, Promise Keeper.  He threw himself into the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  He threw himself into cycling.  He threw himself into his work.  Above everything else, Mike threw himself into Christianity.  He was a Christ-one.  He belonged to Jesus.  And you didn’t have to be around him long before that became very clear.  He loved Jesus.

Mike was a fighter.  He fought cancer with everything he had and kept it at bay for decades, but it came back and eventually overwhelmed his body’s defenses.  He didn’t like that.  He wanted to hang on.  We talked about death and the fact that SOMETHING is going to get all of us.  When it finally sunk in that this was it for Mike, I told him that part of me was envious because, barring an automobile accident or heart attack, he was going find out what it’s really like before I would.

I want to close by reading something written by a former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate about the passing of Oswald Chambers:

“Oswald in His Presence.”
With these four words. The news of Oswald Chamber’s death at 43 was cabled to his friends.
Four words that tell the whole story of death to the believer.
The One Whom Chambers had trusted “sight unseen,” he now beholds face to face in all His unveiled glory.
Faith became sight…in an instant.
No wonder the Apostle Paul could declare—“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

For those of us gathered here today, I declare:

“Michael Kessler is in His Presence!”

Hallelujah!

By Jerry Richardson

When Mike asked me several weeks ago if I would speak at his service, I told him that “I would be honored to speak”.

After reflecting on all Mike accomplished in his life, I am both honored and humbled to stand here today to speak about a very special and great man.

God brought Mike into my life almost 10 years ago when he followed me into my office at Classic Homes because of the shirt I was wearing. On Fridays during football season, I always wear a Florida Gator shirt.

We quickly discovered that we were both Gator alumni and we both briefly played football while attending Florida.

After getting to know each other, Mike and I tried to meet at least once a week for lunch. In addition to lunches, there were trips to Mexico, Rockies and CU games, as well as holiday dinners at The Kessler home.

The holiday dinners were special because Mike and Monica always made Pam and I feel like we were part of the Kessler family.

It was during the times I spent with Mike that I was able to see what made him special and that was his genuine love for his family, friends, and his fellow man. Every person that Mike met became a friend for life.

Mike truly saw every person he met as one of Gods children and since they were Gods children they were special.

They were not special because of what they had achieved; they were special because of all that they could achieve.

Mike was always a coach and motivator. It was never about him, it was always about you and what you needed to do to achieve success.

He always talked about what you needed to do to achieve success in your personal life, your profession, your physical body, and most of all success in your walk with Jesus.

The one constant was that any success you achieved started and ended with Jesus.

Mike always stayed focused on what was important and that was the relationship you could have with Jesus Christ. It was never about him, it always about Jesus and you.

Whether you were facing adversity or celebrating success, Mike was always with you. He offered prayer, encouragement and support during the tough times. When you achieved a victory, he was the first to congratulate you and offer praise to God.

As our relationship evolved, we became more than friends we became brothers. In addition to being my brother, Mike became a mentor and a role model.

When I have to make a tough decision or face a difficult task, I find myself asking not only what would Jesus do, I also ask what would Mike do.

I know that if I make a decision based on what Jesus or Mike would do, I will always make the right decision.

I always told Mike that when I grew up, I wanted to be like him. While he would laugh and say that I could do better. I knew that at the end of the day if treated people as Mike treated them that I would be successful in my walk with Jesus as well as my everyday life. Like a lot of people who are here today, I will always want to be like Mike.

I know that all of you have your special memories about Mike and while I have many, there is one that stands out.

Several years ago, Mike and I started watching Florida football games together. Although Pam and I go to a game every year, I could not talk Mike into going with us.

Finally 2 years ago, Mike decided to go with us to a game. He had not attended a live game since his senior year at Florida in 1960.

When Mike attended Florida, the stadium had 38,000 seats. It now has almost 95,000 seats.

As much as I tried to prepare him for the experience, he was like a kid when we arrived at the stadium. It was like I was taking my son to his first football game.

It took us almost an hour to get to our seats because Mike had to talk to everyone he saw and tell them that this was the first game he had attended in over 40 years and introduce Pam and me.

He had to tell everyone that I had played for Florida, if you listened to Mike; my two weeks of football qualified me for the Hall of Fame. Thanks to Mike, I had people asking for my autograph.

We got to our seats just in time for the Gator Football team to run out onto the field. As 95,000 fans started cheering, I looked over at Mike and he was standing there with 2 Gator shirts and a Gator cap on. He had a Gator Coke cup in one hand, and a program in the other hand.

While I will always remember that moment, what I will remember the most is the smile on Mike’s face and the tears that were running down his cheeks.

As soon as the cheering stopped, Mike gave me a bear hug and kept saying this is so great brother, thank you, thank you, thank you.

No Mike, thank you. Thank you for sharing your life with us and making each one of us strive to be a better person. Thanks for helping us “BE LIKE MIKE”