Michael S. Harrell

Mike was born to Kenneth and Eleanor (Meitzler) Harrell on April 24, 1969 in Fayetteville, North Carolina and was the second of three sons. The family moved to Durham, NC when Mike was a year old. Growing up in Durham, he was a lifelong Duke Blue Devils fan.

Mike attended trade school at Wake Tech to become an electrician. Afterwards, he served in the US Coast Guard for four years. He served on the USCGC Pt. Whitehorn, stationed in St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

After completing his service, Mike moved to Raleigh, where he met and fell in love with Kristel (Wright) and they were married in 1997. In 1998, they welcomed their daughter, Kaitlynn Delaney. In 2000, the Harrells moved to Ohio, where they decided to make their forever home. In 2001, they welcomed their son, Chase Michael. Mike embraced Kristel’s family as part of his own, becoming a son to Debi, a big brother to Julia and Kelly, and a best friend to Chuck and Jason.

Mike was an Electrical Foreman for J&J Clement Fire and Security since 2008, taking great pride in his work and the relationships he had both with his bosses and coworkers. He loved the water, whether floating in his pool, taking his boat out, or vacationing at the beach. He never met a stranger, making friends wherever he went. He was the life of the party and always had a smile on his face. He was always helping family, neighbors, and friends, without a second thought. He enjoyed fishing with his dad and his work family. Mike was a dedicated father, brother, uncle, and son. He coached his son’s baseball team for many years, teaching the players with humor and love. A born handyman, Mike and Kristel loved completing projects to make their house a home. His favorite times were when he was spending time with family, seeing live music with Kaitlynn and watching sports with Chase.

Mike is survived by a large family who loved and thought the world of him: his wife of 28 years Kristel Harrell; daughter Kaitlynn Graves (Cameron) and son Chase Harrell; mother Eleanor Harrell; brothers Clark Harrell (Jennifer) and John Harrell (Marsha); many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is predeceased by his father, Kenneth Harrell.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Schoedinger Northeast (1051 E. Johnstown Road, Gahanna), with visitation following until 3:30PM. The family invites guests to dress casually in celebrations of Mike's life.