Melvin Michael "Mike" Cernich

Melvin Michael “Mike” Cernich, age 87, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2014 with beloved family by his side. He was born on October 8th, 1927 in Fall City, WA; the son of Michael and Louise Cernich.

Mike graduated from Fall City high school at the age of 16 in 1944 and joined the Navy shortly thereafter where he served his country for two years. Upon his return from the service, he attended Washington State College where he majored in civil engineering. On April 7th, 1951 he married his beloved frau, Gloria Rafiti and made Renton, WA their permanent home to raise their family. Mike worked in the highway construction industry for over forty years and retired from Northwest Construction Company in 1989. He has been a member of IUOE 302 for over fifty years as well as being a member of the Order of the Elks and Eagles.

Mike had many passions in life. He was an avid outdoorsman that included fishing and pheasant hunting. He loved working in his garden and growing a variety of vegetables for all to enjoy. He was a crossword puzzle enthusiast and liked to watch jeopardy and found great joy when he got the final jeopardy answer correct. He also appreciated a good round of golf on a nice day along with his weekly outing with the Breakfast Club: Shorty, Bill, Dick, Jack, Babe, Ron, and Alec. Above all else, he loved family gatherings and sharing his life experiences to anyone that would listen.

Mike is survived by his beloved wife Gloria of 63 years along with his is three children and their spouses; Toni (Larry) Mandel, Terri (Patrick) Thrapp, and Steven (Tracy) Cernich. He had two grandchildren; Craig (Nikki) Johnson and Makayla Rains along with three great granddaughters; twins Sienna and Makala, along with baby Mila Johnson.

Mike will be remembered for his sharp intellect, dry sense of humor, colorful language, and hatred of traffic. Along with always having a pocket full of toothpicks, he made awesome peanut brittle, and was a self-professed “Jack of all Trades”. He was a great story teller but most of all he will be remembered for his devotion and loyalty to his family and friends. We can’t imagine our lives without him.

In Lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Research, PO Box 19024 J5-200, Seattle WA 98109 or visit http://www.fredhutch.org/en.html.

Please bring a story to share and join us in celebrating Mike’s life on Saturday, December 6th 2014 from 11AM to 2PM at the Maplewood Golf Course at 4050 SE Maple Valley Road, Renton WA in the River Rock Grill Banquet Room.