Mike Lobrano, at the spry age of 84, went to be with the Lord on September 26, 2026, after a hard-fought, lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Born on June 30, 1942, his life was forged from his intellect, ingenuity, and true grit.
Mike was born to Samuel Lobrano and Ruth Jones Lobrano Atkinson in Winnsboro, Louisiana, where he grew up working and helping run the family fish market and helping on the Lobrano homestead in Mangham, Louisiana. It was this early life in rural Northeast Louisiana that instilled in him the value of hard work.
Mike left home for the US Army on his 18th birthday, where he served honorably until June 21, 1963. He served in Germany as part of the post-WWII peacekeeping efforts. After his miliary service, Mike went to college at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe earning a degree in nuclear medicine.
Finishing college would not end his education. Mike had a love of learning, which he instilled in his children. Failure was simply not in his vernacular. He was always adding to his various medical certificates and his skillset—nuclear medicine, x-ray, medical assisting, small engine repair, or plant grafting.
Mike loved his work in healthcare and caring for others, massaging hearts in the heart cath lab, x-raying broken bones, drawing blood, or using his CPR knowledge to resuscitate a fellow restaurant diner having a heart attack. Even when he opened Mike’s Small Motors engine repair, he continued to work on call at Doctor’s Hospital and Overton Brooks VA Hospital. He finally retired from the VA Hospital in 2012 when the Parkinson’s would not let him continue.
Mike was a creative learner to his core—channeling his undiagnosed ADHD by creating his own purple hull pea sheller, stained glass, or grafting plants. He loved sharing his wide berth of knowledge with anyone who would listen but especially his grandsons, teaching them about grafting in his Frierson mayhaw orchard, working on small engines, or the game of baseball.
Mike was charismatic—charming everyone he met, especially women including his German fraulein and the nurses at work until the day he met the love of his life, Jerilyn, who loved and cared for Mike with everything she had.
Mike may have met Jeri life later in life, but he and Jeri soaked up every moment together. They loved fishing on Toledo Bend during the day, then dancing late into the night at Big Al’s on the Texas side of the lake. When the boat wouldn’t move forward after one night of dancing, Mike drove the boat in reverse, flashlight in his mouth, to make sure Jeri was safe. Mike loved Jeri something fierce and always made sure she had everything she ever wanted or dreamed of—confounding his daughter Lisa who knew him to always say “no” unless it was an amazing deal. Mike also knew and loved the Lord, getting baptized with Jeri at Brookwood Baptist Church.
In his retired life, Mike enjoyed spending time with all of his grandchildren. He continued to care for his orchard and “tinker” with small engines. Even after the Parkinson’s took his ability to stand on his own, he would play catch with Maverick from a chair in the back yard or watch Maverick’s games from GameChanger. As with his whole life, Mike simply figured out how to make it work.
Despite all of his difficulties in life and health, Mike never complained. To the bitter end, he rolled with it, only from a wheelchair.
Preceding him in death were his mother, Ruth Jones Lobrano Atkinson; stepfather, Dr. John Atkinson; father, Samuel Lobrano; stepmother, Shirley Lobrano; brother, Robert Lobrano; and daughter, Stephanie Fuller Mayo.
Left to cherish Mike’s memory are his loving and devoted wife, Jerilyn Barker Lobrano; daughters, Lisa Lobrano Burson (Jason) and Ashley Fuller Rivers (Mike); son, Dr. M. Todd Lobrano (Allison); grandchildren, Haley Mayo Kerley (Tanner), Seth Crawford (Cheyenne), Nicholas Mayo, Marcus Crawford, Scott Crawford, Daniel Crawford, Logan Mayo, Brayden Lobrano, Layla Rivers, Alexis Rivers, and Maverick Burson; sisters-in-law, Sheryl Barker Honeycut (Hayward), Diane Barker Shepherd, and Gaye Barker Lenser; and numerous great grandchildren.
The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff at the Northwest Louisiana War Veterans Home and the Overton Brooks VA Hospital for their genuine love and care for Mike during his ongoing health battles.
In lieu of flowers, the family would ask for donations to be made in Mike’s honor at Woody’s Home for Veterans in Shreveport, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, or a non-profit of your choosing.
Memorial service information will be determined at a later date.
