Michael Charles Lerch

Michael Charles Lerch, took his highest journey yet - to Heaven on August 28, 2022. He floated through the gates of paradise at the young age of 52 with a head full of thick dark hair and a smile that could light up an entire room. Mike loathed hospitals, but even so he ultimately passed away at Parkview Regional Medical Center due to complications from influenza. Mike was born on August 17, 1970. He was raised in and around Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was the baby of the family and only boy with 3 older sisters. Some of their fondest memories included Mike, a wagon, and a crazy horse. While he was still too little to fight back, his sisters loved dressing him up and doing his makeup. His mother loved him dearly until his last breath and it was known that he was the favorite (most of the time). Being his dad’s only son, he acquired the role of being his dad's true partner in crime. He graduated with his GED, or as he would say ‘Good Enough Degree’. Mike found his true calling in the mastery of botany, with many years of successful crops under his belt. He was a feline whisperer and world history encyclopedia. Michael was a handy man around the house and was a real "I’ll do it myself" kind of guy. He exercised daily by pacing his spacious floor plan while laughing and reciting family guy episodes word for word. He had one daughter, Taylor Marie Abon, who he absolutely adored and was the best dad he knew how to be. He loved her from the minute he saw her and being a good dad to her was one of the most important roles of his life. One of Taylor's favorite memories is of her dad's award winning ability to tell the most animated stories. She remembers when she was little, they would lay in the bottom of the bunk bed, and Mike would draw pictures on the mattress above them of castles and tell stories about a princess named Taylor. He also had a 4 legged canine son named Levi, who rarely left his dad’s side. He reconnected with high school friend Stephanie Bashop later in life, and she ultimately became his fiancé, the love of his life, and his best friend. She stuck by him through the good and the not so good. Although a less than average life span, Mike did not live an average life. He traveled where he wanted to travel - mainly from his house to the store 10 miles down the road. He laughed inappropriately at every chance, told the funniest jokes, learned what he wanted to learn, and fixed what he wanted to fix (or at least started too). Michael left behind a hell of a lot of World War II memorabilia that we have no clue what to do with. Mike is survived by his mother Judith Lerch, daughter Taylor Abon, both of Fort Wayne. His fiancé Stephanie Bashop, of Avilla, Indiana. His sisters Kelly (Hamid) Raffieed of Fort Wayne, Kari (Dave) Hamblin of Isle of Palms, South Carolina and Kasey (Joe) Miller of Churubusco, Indiana. His nieces and nephews Antonio (Christina) Raffieed, Zachary (Kristin) Miller, Samantha Raffieed, Jordan (Korissa) Hamblin, Adrienne Miller, Nicholas Hamblin, Luke Miller, Lauren Hamblin and Alex Hamblin. He was preceded in death by his dad Larry Lerch, and his nephew Jeremy Foster. No funeral services will be held, instead a private celebration of life.