Gregory James Michaels

Born October 10, 1966, Greg died on June 23, 2017, in Mead, WA, surrounded by his family. He fought hard during the past year-and-a-half, being as he would say “pirate-strong”, until the end when colon cancer finally prevailed. Greg will be greatly missed by his wife Angie Michaels of Mead, WA, his sons Alec Michaels (Mead, WA), Christopher Michaels (Indianapolis, IN), and Nicholas Michaels (Indianapolis, IN). Nicholas’s children Alexis and Adrien Michaels will dearly miss their grandfather and mentor as will their mother Melodie Banks.

Greg is also survived by his mother and stepfather, Shirley and Hank Benzel of Richland, WA; his father and stepmother, Tom and Jenny Michaels of Deer Park, WA; his sisters Tricia Chappell (Brian) of Kenosha, WI, and Chrissie Erickson (James) of Mead, WA; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Greg proudly served his country as a career Marine, having enlisting in 1984 during his senior year in high school after he heard of the devastating bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed basic training in San Diego and then infantry training at Camp Pendleton, CA, in 1985 as a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) crewman. In 1990 he was ordered to the Persian Gulf where he served as an LAV section leader and vehicle commander during the 1st Gulf War. He wrote a well-received book, Tip of the Spear, which was published in 1998 and described his wartime experiences as an enlisted man. It was selected for the Marine Commandant's Reading List and offers a vivid, firsthand account of Operation Desert Storm. After serving as an infantry unit leader for six years and a career recruiter for eight years, he retired from the Marine Corps in 2009 after 24 years of service.

Never one to waste a moment, Greg was interviewing for his second career on the Monday following his Friday Marine Corps retirement, and shortly thereafter accepted a position with Cintas Corporation. Starting as a Sales Representative, he used his persuasive skills to rise through the ranks to the position of Market Sales Manager in 2014. He continued in this role until late 2016 when his illness kept him from working any longer.

In addition to his Marine Corps and corporate life, Greg was a devoted grandfather who took great pleasure in mentoring his two grandchildren, which included fixing them breakfast and taking them on regular mall and neighborhood walks. His other passions were the “Black Pearl,” his 1979 vintage Corvette, and golf, which he played until just a few weeks prior to his death.

Greg was known by all to be the ultimate optimist with a very persuasive personality. One of his favorite quotes was, “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?” (Captain Jack Sparrow) One of his friends speculated, “Greg, I'm not sure what the first night is like in Heaven, but I figure you have all the apostles fitted with Cintas uniforms, sold St. Peter a first aid cabinet after one call, and a couple of angels are now considering a career in the Marine Corps.” As a kid, he could convince his sisters that a nickel was worth more than a dime because it was bigger. And when it became clear that his cancer treatments were no longer working, he refused to give up, saying, “No one on the Black Pearl authorized the work stoppage.”

Greg will be sorely missed by his family and friends as he was truly one-of-a-kind with a larger-than-life personality. All are welcome to attend his Celebration of Life Memorial Service at the Deer Park VFW Hall on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 1:00 pm followed by a private gathering.

Arrangements under the direction of Hazen & Jaeger Funeral Home, Spokane, WA.