He is survived by brothers, Paul Essex, Jeff Essex and David Essex; sisters, Patricia Blades, Susan Mitchell, Robin Hopkins and Kathy Driver; his wife, Tammy Phillips Essex; children, Mick Essex, Emily Essex, Michael Nathan Essex, Matt Potter, Heather and Jacob Mangum, Payton Phillips and Brandon Eichelburger; grandchildren, Gavin Essex, Cannon Harper, Blakely Harper, Riley Scott, Talen Potter, Hayes Eichelburger, Haven Eichelburger and Piper Eichelburger; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mike loved five things most in life: his family, playing golf with his “other brother” A.D., fishing with Wally Rice, mowing his yard and cooking…and not always in that particular order. Making a hole-in-one five times in a row would be easier than trying to condense this man to a simple paragraph or a single story.
You see, he was not an individual, and he was certainly not simple. He was the total sum of all his parts…his family. And my goodness what a large one it is! He used to joke about eating so fast as a kid because that was the only way to ensure a full belly. As an adult, he would eat last to ensure everyone else was full instead.
There isn’t anything he wouldn’t give you if he had it, and he never asked for anything in return. Unless you borrowed one of his tools…those he definitely wanted back. The true measure of a man is shown not through sternness or false bravado, but through love and compassion, and in him, those two things were immeasurable.
He passed away in Bossier City, LA, June 16, 2019, at the age of 64. As difficult as it was for this to happen on Father’s Day, forty-eight years spending the day without his father was long enough. I find some solace that they were reunited on this one…alongside our Heavenly Father above.
A Life celebration service for Mike is scheduled for 10 AM, Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home in Haughton, LA. Pastor Louis Foerster will serve as officiant. The family invites friends to a visitation on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 from 5-7 PM at the funeral home.
