Mike was born on 05 April 1984 to Victor and Mercy Ababa in Cebu, Philippines. Mike is the oldest of 4. Mike spent his childhood in California and Hawaii, due to his father’s career in the U.S Navy. Mike claimed Hawaii as home and the islands always made him smile and breathe a bit easier. The islands meant a lot to Mike, and he longed to return to them. The sound of the ocean waves, the smell of the salt air, and laid back island vibe made him happy. Mike carried “Aloha” with him wherever he went. He was always smiling and positive, just wanting to make people feel at ease. Mike graduated from Radford High School in 2002 and joined the U.S Air Force.
Mike completed Basic Military Training in April of 2003. From there, he went on to technical training at the 343d Training Squadron to learn his job as an Air Force Defender. Once he completed technical training, he headed to his first base, it was there his life changed forever. Mike was stationed at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom. He met his future wife, Maxine, during in-processing and they became inseparable. The following year was an exciting one for Mike and Maxine. They got married, found out they were expecting their first child, and Mike deployed for the first time. In early 2005, their first son Jonathan was born. In the fall of 2005, they underwent their first PCS as a family. Their next adventure was at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Here, Mike deployed numerous times and they welcomed their second son, Justin in 2007. Mike was selected for a remote tour to Korea in 2010 and once his tour was complete, the family moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan. This assignment was a favorite of the entire family, especially Mike. Mike loved all things anime and Japanese food. Surprisingly, their next assignment took them to the United Kingdom, where they welcomed their son, Jordan. It was also here, that Mike was medically retired in 2016 due to injuries he sustained while on active duty.
After much discussion, Mike and Maxine decided to relocate to San Antonio, Texas and start their life after the military. Life was good for the Ababa family. They bought a beautiful home, settled into a new routine, and lived a happy life.
That life came crashing down in January of 2021 when the entire family tested positive for COVID and Mike ended up having to go to the hospital. Mike bravely fought the hardest battle of his life and sadly lost his fight to COVID.
Mike is survived by his mother and father, Mercy and Victor, his wife Maxine, his three children Jonathan, Justin, and Jordan, and many other family members both here in the U.S and the Philippines.
Aloha.
Til Valhalla.
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