Michael Shawn Stence

Mike was born on December 16, 1965, in Lubbock, Texas to the late Donald and Kay (Adrian) Stence. Mike lived his early life in the Barton Hills area of Austin where he attended Austin High School and met many of his lifelong friends. From the beginning, he was always taking things apart and putting them back together, including the engine of nearly every car he owned. He discovered his love of working on cars with his 1972 Camaro in his parents' garage. Over 30 years of Mike’s working career was then spent at Phoenix Motor Works, specializing in European cars.

While growing up, Mike’s family participated actively in the Churches of Christ. He enjoyed his time spent in the church singing and assisting his dad with youth activities.

Mike married Nancy Yarbrough in May of 1992 and welcomed sons Zachary in 1998 and Tyler in 2000. His greatest accomplishments were his boys. He often spoke fondly of the camping trips taken with his family where he enjoyed hiking, fishing, and teaching life skills to his boys. He loved helping Nancy improve their house, whether it be remodeling the kitchen or building a deck. He passed on his love for tinkering, building, and learning to Zach and Tyler. His face always lit up when he was shown what Zach had 3D printed for him, or the electronics Tyler had fixed for him.

In his later years, Mike found companionship with Star Beauchamp, his partner of five years. Mike helped her with home improvement and enjoying life. Their relationship was a bright and meaningful part of Mike’s final years, and she was a loving and supporting presence by his side.

Mike will be fondly remembered by his friends, neighbors, and co-workers. He was always ready to help a friend out and never hesitated to share his expertise or lend any number of his tools to help fix a problem.

Mike is survived by two sons, Zachary (and wife Kristen) Stence of Grand Prairie, and Tyler Stence of Austin; their mother, Nancy Stence of Austin; his partner of five years, Star Beauchamp of Austin; brother, Mitchell Stence of Kingsland and his three children, Payton, Riley, and Cassie; aunt, Joy Rettman of Lubbock; his uncles, Bill (and wife Carla) Stence of Lubbock, David (and wife Jackie) Stence of Austin, and Steven Adrian of Austin; and numerous extended family members.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held February 8, 2025, at the Zilker Clubhouse, Arnulfo Alonso Way, Austin, Texas (formerly Zilker Clubhouse Road, off Rollingwood Dr), from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Mike never liked wearing a tie—he was more of a jeans and boots guy—so please dress casually.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a charitable donation to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) in memory of Mike.