Michael Silviu Soimar

Michael’s story, which spans continents, begins on October 28, 1943, in the breathtaking countryside of Bucovina, Romania. Michael was the youngest of two children in his family, with his sister Doina being two years older. When Michael was only one year old their mother suddenly passed away leaving a deeply saddened husband and father alone with a baby and a toddler. Through the grace of God, a wonderful woman, Nadia, came into their father’s life and immediately fell in love with the two little children. Shortly after they got married and from that moment Nadia became the only mother Michael knew and adored his entire life. She was a very kind mother who filled Doina and Michael’s existence with endless love, understanding and support.

Their parents owned many acres of land where the children spent their early years enjoying a tranquil pastoral life. They discovered the beauty and mystery of nature while playing with friends and small animals, walking through the woods and swimming in the clear-water rivers. The winters were celebrated with numerous reunions with aunts, uncles and cousins all gathered around the fireplace telling wonderful stories that fascinated the children.

In February of 1945, the world changed dramatically after the Yalta summit when Europe was divided and Romania was given over to communist rule and, a short time later, barely resembled the sovereign nation it had been prior to WWII. Given their unfortunate fate, Michael’s parents as property owners had to flee their land and homes as communists confiscated all their possessions. A new and very different life for all of them started in Bucharest, the biggest city in Romania so much different from the rural place they all loved. Faced with these devastating events it became clear that the only way their children may enjoy an accomplished personal and professional life was through excellent education and dedicated work that no one could ever take it away from them.

Armed with ambition and under their parents and grandparents’ constant guidance, both Michael and Doina attended outstanding schools where they discover their talents and gained strength and confidence that allowed them to evolve into remarkable young people. Doina’s passion was history and upon her high school graduation she enrolled in the University of Bucharest to complete her studies. She reached her life desire of becoming a history teacher and enjoyed many years of admiration and love from her high school students and colleagues. She was also blessed with two adorable children, Daniela and Valentin who brought only joy to the happy parents, grandparents and uncle Michael who watched lovingly over them until he passed away. They also turned into sensitive, bright, successful people in big part due to the example they had in their uncle.

In high school Michael was recruited by a reputable fencing team and dedicated a lot of time and energy competing in this sport. Upon graduating high school, he wanted to become a professional fencing player, but his parents convinced him to pursue engineering for which he already showed strong interest and intellect. With a heavy heart he gave up fencing and enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program in the best engineering school in the country, Technical University of Bucharest. Five years later in 1968 he graduated with a Master’s Degree of Science, with a Major in Internal Combustion Engines and Applied Thermodynamics. Shortly after he started a PhD program in the Propulsion Engineering field. From that moment Michael’s successful engineering career was launched, and for the next 50 years he enjoyed remarkable achievements. As his parents told Doina and Michael when they were very young, these could not and were not ever taken away by anyone. This was the most precious legacy his parents left for them.

From the early years of his engineering career, Michael became well-known for his knowledge, talent, and vision. He started as a young R&D engineer working for the most reputable company in Romania specializing in small and large marine and military vehicles engines. His reputation spread fast, and he shortly became one of the rare experts in the field leading to many advancements. Due to his passion for his profession, he was also selected to teach engineering courses at the same reputable university. But he didn’t stop at that. During his PhD studies Michael also put his energy in writing engineering books in collaboration with some of the most renown professors. The practical experience combined with the theory made him one of the best in the field. While enjoying a lot of success, Michael continued to be very modest and kind. Everyone around him from colleagues, students and technicians and those working under his supervision loved, respected and were inspired by him. They admired him so much that they would spend even nights working to achieve goals and deadlines.

While Michael was climbing his professional ladder, in 1973, Corina Damian, a 19-year-old young woman was also starting her journey into the field of Mechanical Engineering at Technical University of Bucharest. She was young, full of life, friendly and intelligent, but it would take several years until her and Michael’s lives would converge. Until then, as she was advancing into her studies, the only relationship with Michael was strictly professional since he was her Applied Thermodynamics professor. In 1979 Corina also graduated with a Master’s Degree of Science with a Major in Internal Combustion Engines. It was destiny for them to work in the same company. As they got to know one another more, a beautiful love story started. Michael was the supreme gentleman and treated Corina like a princess. They shared many common interests like books, theater, history, art and travel. Corina was impressed by Michael’s maturity, wisdom and generosity, traits of critical importance to her to choose a future husband. As she adored her parents, in particular her mother, the protector, and her siblings, she was happy to watch the love and respect Michael had for his family, and specially for his mother. Corina’s mom always told her and her sister to watch how a man treats his mother before making a decision as to who to choose as a husband. (Also, to make sure their shoes shine). She was a very wise woman!

While he was an avid tennis player, she was an avid skier, and in time Corina became Michael’s tennis partner enjoying a great time together. With the variety of common interests and the love and admiration for each other, the natural progression of their relationship took them to the moment they got married. From that moment their love, happiness and mutual respect never stopped. They became part of each other’s family spending countless hours of stories and joy. Corina’s niece, Simona, her brother’s daughter, could not have enough of Michael’s tenderness and was constantly next to him. She adored him and gave him the nickname, Nenea Hai, which loosely translates to Uncle Hai, that stuck to him his entire life.

In the early ’80s a miracle took place when, for a limited time, the United States allowed Romanians who wanted to forsake the communist regime to immigrate to this blessed country. Although leaving his native place, family, friends, and great memories is one the hardest things a human being may go through, the craving for freedom was more powerful than the apprehension of the unknown. It took tremendous courage to leave everything behind to start anew in a country where nobody knew anything about them, but Michael and Corina (and her parents and sister) took the giant step and chose freedom.

In 1982 a new era began for both of them. Shortly after arriving in America and starting as an R&D Engineering Director with a company in New York City, management started to recognize Michael’s knowledge and expertise in the Propulsion Engineering research and development environment. Michael’s professional life was on an unstoppable ascending curve from then on. In only a few years he became the Vice President of New Product and Business Development for Rotary Power International (RPI), the world’s foremost developer of stratified charge rotary engines and the sole owner of rotary engines previously developed at John Deere Technology International Inc. and earlier, at Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

In 1997 an opportunity occurred for Michael to join and serve as Managing Director of General Dynamics Land Systems Propulsion Systems in Muskegon, Michigan, a premier military contractor for the United States. As Corina’s parents were still in New York and went through a tremendous tragedy when her twin sister died in October 1996 leaving two seven-year-old twin daughters motherless. Relocating to Muskegon was a very difficult decision to make for both her and Michael. After many sleepless nights and days of debating, they realized the distance obstacle could gently be resolved and the family would still be very close. Since this opportunity allowed Michael to dedicate his expertise and vision in a field where he could have great satisfaction, they left New York and found a wonderful new home in Muskegon. They never regretted the change and Corina’s family, in particular the twin girls, Alexandra and Christina, were never deprived of their love. They started to spend all their vacations with Michael and Corina who became the second set of parents. Their father was very kind to share his adorable girls’ time with their aunt and uncle.

A few years later the Muskegon, MI division was acquired by L-3 Communications, Corp., and in February 2005 Michael was appointed President of the Muskegon Division L-3 Combat Propulsion Systems. Among many responsibilities, he was the lead of the Army XXI Land Systems Legacy Vehicles working group comprised of government and industry representatives for the Fuel-Efficient Army After Next (FEAAN), an Army Materiel Command (AMC) initiative that focused on the technology and policy initiatives aimed at reducing the high fuel consumption of the legacy combat vehicles. He dedicated his efforts and contribution to advanced technologies in Power & Energy, Advanced Propulsion Systems, Alternative Energy, Directed Energy, and Robotics. In addition, Michael authored more than 25 technical papers for scientific journals, including three papers for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and four textbooks.

In 2015 Michael retired after almost 50 years of outstanding career and professional satisfaction. He loved his work and all the people who contributed to his successful professional life. Shortly after they decided to split their time between Muskegon, MI and Sarasota, Fl so Michael could play tennis, his long-life passion all year round. Between tennis and golf, they enjoyed the outdoor activities to the maximum.

Even after retirement, Michael never stopped working and being involved in a variety of engineering activities. In October 2022 he received a United States Patent of his invention in collaboration with another engineer: Propulsion System and Aircraft with Vertical Take-off and Landing-VTOL. To his regret the second invention was still pending for being patented at the time of his passing, but Corina will ensure it will be completed.

During the three months of sickness, he never complained. His only concern was about his beloved wife and her suffering for losing him. The last words he ever wrote were “I love you.” Until the last days of his life, he remained the eternally strong, calm, and wise man that had earned the love and admiration of all the people in his life, and, with his passing, the fond memories of all who knew him. Michael’s last moments were certainly more reconciled by having next to him not only Corina, but also his dear niece, Daniela, his nephew Valentin, Alexandra, Christina and from the distance with her whole heart Corina’s third niece, Simona.

A visitation for Michael will be held Tuesday, March 7, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home at Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave, Sarasota, FL 34232. A Trisagion service will be held at 5:45 PM during the visitation.

A second visitation will be held Wednesday, March 8, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243.The funeral service will follow at 12:00 PM.

A committal service will be at 1:30 PM at Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave, Sarasota, FL 34232.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Michael Somiar to:

St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34243

Mailed check: include “In memory of Michael Soimar” in memo

Donation link: https://sarasotaorthodox.com/stewardship/make-a-donation/

Select Endowment Fund & proceed to secure site, Include in Company section “In memory of Michael Soimar”.

Or to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 185 E. Pontaluna Road, Muskegon, MI 49444

Mailed check: include “In memory of Michael Soimar” in memo

Michael is leaving a valuable legacy that will long outlive him. May he rest in peace!