Michael T. Simpson

Michael was born on July 21, 1971 in Lafayette, Indiana. From the time he was little, he always approached everyone with a charismatic smile and a friendly word. His sense of humor and welcoming personality drew many people to him and he enjoyed spending his time in the company of others. Though born in Indiana, Michael spent most of his childhood in Colorado, where he attended Douglas County schools, graduating from Highlands Ranch High School in 1989 as a member of the first graduating class. Throughout his school years, Mike demonstrated a great deal of talent in the arts. He explored a variety of mediums in which to express his creativity, taking classes in wood working, jewelry making, photography and even home economics. He found success in many of these pursuits, though home economics proved to be a less than perfect choice for him. For one of his assignments in this class, he was required to cook dinner for his family. He came home with a meatloaf recipe and immediately began to collect the ingredients. He refused any help, as he had been tasked with making the meatloaf and wanted to make the dinner himself. He busily worked in the kitchen and was so proud of himself when the timer on the oven dinged. He removed the meal from the oven and the appetizing smell brought the rest of the family to join him at the dinner table. As everyone dug into their thick slices, we all discovered that something was amiss. Though he had followed the recipe closely, he had neglected to remove the absorbent paper from the bottom of the ground beef and it had been mixed and baked into the meal. So ended his culinary career. His photography and wood working turned out to be much more suited to Mike. He loved looking at the world through the lens and viewfinder. When he was younger, he even had aspirations of becoming a photographer. His early wood working classes demonstrated his abilities working with his hands. His family still uses several of the pieces made in these classes. After graduating from high school, Mike moved to Arizona where he further explored vocations that required working with his hands. He was working in electronics manufacturing when he met his future wife, Carla. Together they had Alex and Alyssa whom they raised with Carla's older son Andrew. As the years passed, Mike worked as a tile and carpet installer and sold ceiling fans; having his own business at one time. After having lived in Arizona for many years, Michael decided that he wanted to move to Indiana to become acquainted with some family members living there. He spent about a year there and during that time welcomed his youngest son, Zachary, into the world. When the time came for him to move on, Mike chose to travel to California, where he lived most recently. Michael was a curious individual who enjoyed trying new things and exploring what the world had to offer. He had a quick sense of humor and was always joking around with his friends and family. A Memorial Service will be held Friday, December 9, 2011, at 10:00 am, at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 East County Line Road (one block west of South Holly Street), in Centennial, Colorado. Please share your memories of Mike and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.