Michael attended church with his family at Community Christian Fellowship of Reedley, where his dad was the pastor. He was baptized around 6 years old by his dad. He also reaffirmed His commitment to Christ when he was 12 years old.
Greg and Lynn joined a Bible Study group shortly after their salvations in the spring/summer of 1976. They joined with five other couples, meeting every other Monday evening. When this group began, there were only four infant children, all of whom came along to the studies, which rotated from house to house. Greg and Lynn stayed in that group for 23 years, while the count of the children increased to 17! Michael, and all the kids, eventually considered all those other children as brothers and sisters, or at least as cousins! There were annual weekend trips to Cayucos together, which included beach time, many games, dinner out in Morro Bay, and church together on Sunday morning, followed by a big hamburger lunch.
Michael attended Lincoln Elementary School in Reedley CA, followed by General Grant Junior High and then Reedley High School. He participated in several sports during these years, including soccer, basketball, swimming and water polo. He also loved music, and was proficient on the violin and the trombone, and taught himself to play piano and guitar. Music was one of his loves, and he seemed to love a variety of types. He was especially partial to Bob Marley. Michael was privileged to grow up down the block in Reedley from his Uncle Barry and Aunt Cathy, and their four children, Nathan, Steve, Jacob and Beth. For many of those years they also attended the same church. It was a family blessing, which added depth to his times with the Bible Study group friends.
At the beginning of his junior year of high school, the family moved to Fresno, and Michael completed his last two years of high school at Buchanan High. Before this move was made there was a family meeting, and he was asked if moving to Fresno would be OK with him. He seemed to think he would actually like it better, as graduating from Buchanan High might improve his chances of entering a better university! So the move was made, and he attended the same high school where his dad, Greg, was working as an Academic Counselor. He graduated in 2001, the same year as his sister, Amy, was married.
As his senior year closed at Buchanan, he applied to four UC schools after the family made a physical tour of several in the system. He was accepted to the first three to which he applied, but had not heard from UCLA. This was where he apparently most wanted to attend. Greg & Lynn were both partial also to UCLA because of John Wooden and their historic basketball program, which they had followed. Michael was rarely openly ecstatic, but when the acceptance letter from UCLA finally arrived, he was overjoyed, and ran out to the car as we arrived home that day to inform us, all smiles and with several effusive statements!
Michael attended UCLA for four years. During his junior year, he participated in a student exchange program, spending that year in Germany, where he even shared the Christmas holidays with Glenn & Dianne Collard. Following his time at UCLA Michael decided to join the Marines. Asked why the Marines, he replied, “Because they are the hardest!” He tested for and was accepted into the prestigious Monterey Language Institute, which few qualified for. He spent a total of four years in the Marines, including deployment to Okinawa.
After his time in the Marines, he moved back to Southern California and completed his political science degree at UCLA. He also took a trip to Thailand, where his love for travel possibly was increased. In the later years of his adult life, Michael spent his time traveling throughout the United States. He reported that he felt freer in the outdoors, and on the move! During this period, he visited his sister, Amy, and her family in North Carolina. During all these travels, he was in regular contact with his family through the internet
Michael was preceded in death by his infant brother, Nicholas, and by his grandparents, Dutch and Juanita Warmerdam, and Dale and Margaret Brengman.
He is survived by his parents, Greg and Lynn Warmerdam, and by his sisters and their families, Greg and Amy, Emma and Tessa Collard of Matthews, NC, and Anne and Garret Markarian and Jazmine and Connor Davidson, of Easton, CA. He is also survived by his uncles and an aunt, Mark and Irene and Holly Warmerdam, of Pleasanton, CA; Gloria Cenci of Fresno CA, and her family; Dave Warmerdam, also of Fresno, and his family; Barry and Cathy Warmerdam, of Reedley, CA and their family, and Russ Brengman of Boulder City, NV, and his son Chris and family. He is survived also by many loving cousins and other relatives.
Partager l'avis de décès
v.1.9.6