Michael Lee Schwartzkopf was born March 28th, 1986 in Hutchinson, Kansas and died June 28th, 2020 in Colorado. When he was 8 months old his family moved from Kansas to Colorado where he lived and grew up with his father Jon, his mother Anita, his big brother Kyle and his little sister Sara.
In his 34 years he was many things and affected a great many people. Growing up he frequently played with his siblings – catching snakes in the park across the street, playing video games, riding bikes, and baseball. His sister might tell you about arguing over who was due to have Bud the beagle sleep with them that night. His brother might tell you about their brief obsession with WWF wrestlers and how many times they broke the recliner trying out moves in the living room. His grandmother would tell you a story of when he was little of how he was afraid of the chipmunks in Rocky Mountain National Park with their food begging ways. Perhaps he would rather have you know the story of when he was a teenager and slipped out past the guardrail at the Grand Canyon to walk out to the rim for a better look. Mike also might’ve told you about the time he helped a friend catch a squirrel that got caught in his basement (and shown you the scar to prove it) or the time he had to call search and rescue because he was out hiking too late in the day (he made it down on his own despite his better judgement).
Mike excelled in school. He had a love for reading and stories that he carried with him throughout life. He played football for a few years but preferred track and field and even went to state for shotput. Along the way he made friends easily, frequently with his easy sense of humor and the joy he took in seeing people laugh.
After high school Mike graduated from CSU with a degree in hospitality. He’d go on to work in event sales for several hotels along the front range, enjoying the idea of hotels, service and helping in providing a really good party.
Outside of the day to days of work and school, Mike loved his family, his friends, comedy, stories and his cat, Mister. He texted and called frequently, despite living in the Denver area an hour or more away from most of his immediate family. He delighted in making us all laugh and was quick with a joke or a story on holidays. Mike’s little cousins loved him, and nicknamed him Uncle Monkey, and played with him whenever they could. He went to comedy shows with his sister Sara and his friends often, jumping on opportunities to see comedians like Dave Chappelle, Ron White, Chris Titus and many more who came through Denver. He also frequently recommended books and shows, loving epic fantasy stories like The Name of the Wind and Game of Thrones. On that note he was an unabashed nerd, playing Pokémon Go and Dungeons and Dragons with his friends whenever he could.
More importantly though, was the impact that he had on others. Mike frequently hosted other people at his apartment, allowing family and friends to crash on his couch as needed. He took in friends who otherwise had no place else to go. Even his cat Mister was originally a foster that turned into a permanent pet (much to his delight). He’d use his work to get discount hotel rooms for friends and family at different points, often for celebrations but also for sadder times. Mike was someone you could count on to always answer the phone and to give what he could, even when what he might’ve had wasn’t much. He was a wonderful person and will be loved and missed more than any words could express.
Michael is survived by his parents, Jon and Anita; his brother Kyle; sister Sara; and grandmothers Ruth Stockton and Jane Schwartzkopf Blount.
A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date.
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