Colonel Michael Francis Buch Fleck

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Colonel Michael Francis Buch Fleck on September 12, 2023 after a lengthy battle with osteosarcoma. Mike was born in New York and moved overseas when he was 3 months old. Upon returning to the United States, the family moved to California. Days were filled with play, school, swim team, biking/roller skating around the neighborhood and just enjoying being “free range kids”. It was during this time that Mike developed his interest in flying as he had many model airplanes hanging from his ceiling. From California, the family moved to Iran and subsequently repatriated to New Jersey. Mike picked up swimming again and spent many hours in the car with mom going to practices and meets. Once sister Kristine graduated from high school and dad retired, the family moved to North Carolina. It was here that Mike earned his private pilot license. Mike graduated from Bishop McGuinness High School with honors and started his Air Force career at the Air Force Academy, earning a degree in Astronautical Engineering. While at the Academy, he was a member of the swim team as well as the Wings of Blue - the parachute demonstration team. Mike was named parachute demonstrator of the year as a senior. After completing pilot training at Williams AFB, he remained as an instructor pilot before being assigned to Travis AFB where he flew the C5 Galaxy to places as remote as Antarctica. After serving with Air Mobility Command for over seven years, he was assigned to Beale AFB where he continued his pilot career flying both the U2 and T-38. He invested heavily in his personal development and took many opportunities to increase his education during assignments at Maxwell AFB, Barksdale AFB, and Hanscom AFB, earning three masters degrees by the end of his career, including one from Harvard. Mike served a one year combat deployment in Iraq as the Multi-National Force J5 Director where he played a vital role in the strategy to rebuild Iraq as a sovereign country and ally. Mike also served as the Mission Support Group Commander at Tyndall AFB and was the Chief of Strategy and Plans Division for the Secretary of the Air Force/International Affairs, flying around the world with some of our highest elected officials. On one such trip with the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mike met the Dalai Lama with whom he had a long and meaningful conversation. Mike ended his distinguished Air Force career as the Air Force Legislative Liaison at the Pentagon. After retirement from the Air Force, Mike took an executive position with Textron Weapon and Sensor Systems and later was an executive with Honeywell.

Mike’s legacy reaches far beyond his career accomplishments - it is with his family and friends. Mike was a devoted father to his two children, Scott and Miranda. He loved planning adventures for the three of them - whether that be sailing around the British Virgin Islands or going to New York City for New Years. Mike shared a passion for cars, car restoration and music with Scott and was fully immersed in Miranda’s world in high school and college. Mike could not have been a happier or prouder dad when he saw Miranda graduate from Virginia Tech and Scott graduate from Air Force basic training.

Mike’s friends cared for him deeply and he for them. Mike was a caring, compassionate man who was truly interested in people’s lives. He maintained incredible friendships from the Air Force Academy (Wings of Blue team as well as classmates) and from his various deployments including the amazing U2 Dragonlady brotherhood. Mike was also very close to his in laws whom he thought of as family in every sense of the word.

Mike is survived by his children Scott Michael Fleck and Miranda Grace Fleck. He was predeceased by his father Robert J. Fleck and sister Carol Richards and is survived by his mother Kirsten B.Fleck and husband Glenn Yeager, his sister Kristine G.Keel, and brother John R.Fleck. Mike is also survived by his loving Danish family, aunts, uncles and amazing cousins, nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank all of the medical teams who took care of Mike for over four years including at MD Anderson in Houston, Walter Reed in Bethesda, Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and Anschutz Medical Center in Denver. The family also wishes to thank the dedicated home health care nurses and doctors, the Visiting Angels organization and Mike’s friends who took him out for lunch numerous times - he so enjoyed these visits. Finally, to the friends who helped during the hardest times, our hearts are full of gratitude.