Michael Carroll Mettler

Our Dad, Michael Carroll Mettler, 81, passed away on October 17, 2020, with his son Jeff and daughter-in-law April holding his hands while his other three children, Jenni, Brian, and Corey, were each able to tell him how much they loved him just before he left us.

Michael was born July 18, 1939 in Ft. Wayne, the first child of the late Don and Carroll Mettler. He grew up on Florida Drive with his five siblings, Steve, Connie, Rick, Anne Marie, and Meg. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1957, and from St. Joseph College in 1961 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He was married to Kathy Sharp from 1964 to 1983, with whom he had his four children. He was married to Janine Fetters from 1987 to 2006, and enjoyed being a family with her and her son, Michael Nader.

After graduating from college, Michael spent a brief period in the Army Reserve at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before going to work in the insurance field, ultimately joining the family business, Mettler-Nix Insurance Agency, alongside his father and grandfather. He went on to work in a variety of businesses in entrepreneurial, management, and sales roles, including several years with the City of Ft. Wayne. His love of nature, however, led him to pursue his true calling as an Artist and Fine Art Nature Photographer. In 1987 he visited the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and “something clicked”. He came home and began painting, landscapes mostly. After 13 years of painting, he was “ambushed by the elements” in Swinney Park and took a series of photographs that ultimately changed the trajectory of his life’s work from painting to photography. He mainly photographed natural landscapes as a way to “seek intimacy with nature through his art”, and described his art as sewing the seen with the unseen. After an awakening experience with lung cancer in 2009, his work deepened and expanded by turning his already stunning photographs into unique three-dimensional layers. He exhibited and sold his art at various galleries and art fairs throughout the region, including Artlink and The Ft. Wayne Museum of Art. At the time of his death he was working with Old Crown Roasting Company curating the rotating art exhibits displayed in their art gallery. He loved being able to showcase and support local artists, and took great joy in mentoring and encouraging their creativity.

Michael was a walking encyclopedia of nature. He could identify any tree, plant, flower, or bird. His car was a mobile nature center filled with leaves, feathers, rocks, maps and binoculars. He especially revered trees, saying they “are like people in a lot of ways…a life presence connecting earth and sky”. He loved having a front row seat to the color show from his porch across the street from Lakeside Park. Some of the grandchildren even called him the Lorax. Anyone who spent time with him was treated to a running commentary on the beauty and history of everything he saw, a practice that drew much eye rolling from his children, but one we now appreciate.

Michael was very expressive about his love for his family and friends. He was a one-man cheerleading squad celebrating their every move. Every call was met with at least 30 seconds of laughing and cheering before the conversation could begin. He left voicemails filled with laughter and exclamations of “Yay, yippee, and Happy Wednesday!” He sent handmade cards in envelopes plastered with stickers and colorful drawings and filled with confetti.

He was an advocate for the environment and anyone subjected to injustice and oppression. He was especially passionate about the plight and treatment of Native Americans and women. He marched in support of the ERA, was a founding member of the group Men Against Violence Against Women, and contributed to the campaigns of female candidates across the country. Emily’s List will miss him.

Michael traveled in the beauty and the culture of the Americas, including Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as throughout the U.S. He explored the world of the Ancient Maya, and received his Shaman scarf from Tz’utujiil Maya in 2012. Even from home he was always up for an adventure, day-tripping to sites with Native American history or off to make tree rubbings. Some of our best memories are of our childhood trips to Glen Arbor, MI, rolling down the sand dunes, swimming in Lake Michigan, searching for petoskey stones, camping at D.H. Day, eating ice cream from The Pine Cone, flying and losing kites, exploring abandoned houses, fishing on Glen Lake, canoeing down the Crystal and Manistee Rivers - including one perilous voyage on the Manistee we will never forget! We are so grateful he was able to spend time there with his grandchildren as well. It is one of our favorite places on Earth, and he will always be with us when we are there.

We will always remember Dad’s “short cuts”( longer but deemed more interesting or scenic than the normal way), waiting forever for him to finish a meal, his beautiful whistling, his embarrassing fashion choices (the mesh tank tops, red corduroys, and butterfly belt buckle cannot be unremembered), and the mischievous joy he took in our screams from the back seat as he inched closer and closer towards a cliffs edge to take in the view or get a closer look.

He will be so missed by his children Jenni Mettler Vincent (Scott) of Overland Park, KS, Brian Mettler (Cheryl) of Dexter, MI, Corey Mettler (Tonda) of Fishers, IN, and Jeff Mettler (April) of Ft. Wayne. He was the extremely proud Grandpa of Jackson, Lillian, Samuel, and Sheamus Mettler, and Kyle, Jessie, Lucy, and Charlie Vincent. He is survived by siblings Steve (Kathy), Connie, and Meg Mettler; 9 nieces and nephews; and in-laws Beth Mettler and Dick Pfister. He was preceded in death by his brother Rick, and his sister, Anne Marie. He will also be missed by his ever-expanding circle of friends whose lives he touched with his unwavering kindness and generosity of spirit.

Donations may be may be sent to the family in the name of Jenni Mettler Vincent for the purchase of a memorial tree and plaque in his honor in Lakeside Park, with any remaining funds donated to the Lakeside Park Rose Garden Trust, and Acres Land Trust. Please send to Advantage Highland Park Funeral Home 2403 East Wallen Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 in the memory of Michael Mettler. Since it is difficult to be together at this time, we will celebrate Michael at the dedication of his memorial tree. The family will look forward to hearing from friends and family online at Advantagehighlandpark.com.