Corey Brandon Michel

Corey Brandon Michel, 42, of Arvada passed away on June 4, 2020. Born on March 18, 1978 in Manteca, California. He is the son of Mickey and Nancy (Kunz) Michel. Corey married Michelle Tyler on May 30, 2009 and their beloved daughter Madeline Audrey Michel was born on October 12, 2012.

Corey was dedicated to partnering in the Michel family business, the Butcher Block Cafes. He most enjoyed his role as the Butcher Block's baker, turning out cinnamon rolls that were loved all over Denver. His love for baking at work inspired his hobby of baking sourdough bread at home, where he created artisan loaves he dreamed of turning into a new business with his family one day.

Corey loved art and graduated with honors from the University of Colorado, Denver, with a degree in art history. His interest in art and history had him traveling the world at a young age, visiting Italy and Egypt. Years later he was still telling tales about the street food he came across while running miles in the streets of Cairo.

Corey was passionate about his family, his dogs, running, hiking, biking, camping, reading, traveling, baking bread, and anything that involved getting outdoors. He threw himself fully into whatever he loved – whether it was running at least 13 miles every day, reading thick history books on French wine, caring for his bee hive, or packing for a trip to the mountains with Michelle and Madeline. He was an introvert who cared profoundly about his friends, remembering minute details of their conversations and making sure he understood their interests. While he liked to relax with a glass of wine after a taxing day on his feet at the restaurant, he would also work tirelessly on projects he believed gave his family the home they dreamed of, whether it was building a vegetable garden or planting new trees.

Corey was an incredibly dedicated husband and father. He was fascinated by Madeline when she was born. He held her hands as she learned to walk, and was with her as she took her first steps. Once she was off and running, he took her everywhere he could, teaching her to ride a bike, how to walk the dogs, how to make a mess in the kitchen, and how to best dig for worms and other creepy crawlies. He constantly said he couldn't believe he and Michelle had created such an amazing little person, who combined the best traits of both of them. He couldn't wait to see who Madeline would grow up to be.

In addition to his parents, and his wife and daughter, he is survived by his dear sister, Erica (Michel) MacKellar, brother-in-law Peter MacKellar, sisters-in-law Alison (Tyler) Mattern and Bonnie (Tyler) Buell, brothers-in-law Noah Mattern and Frank Buell, parents-in-law Robert and Susan Tyler, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. His devoted dogs, Logan and Dash, are lost without him. He left behind his tiny suburban farm, with a cat, chickens, and his current passion project, bees.

A Memorial Service to honor Corey will be held on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 2:00pm at Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr St. Arvada, CO 80004. Please continue to check back for finalized service details.

Memorial contributions may be made to charities Corey supported, the Mile High Weimaraner Rescue, at https://www.mhwr.org/, or the National Wildlife Federation at donate here

Please share memories of Corey and condolences with his family by signing the online guestbook below.