Michael Inovejas Gosiaco

Mike was born December 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Jose and Caridad Gosiaco. He was the youngest of four children – following siblings Ronald, Elaine, and David. Mike grew up in Waimanalo, Hawaii, and enjoyed skateboarding, boogie boarding, table tennis, playing the guitar, ukulele and drums, doing yard work, and organizing parties. He was a devoted son and brother, and shared a close relationship with his maternal grandparents, Clemente and Theadora Pascua. He was especially close with his grandfather, who was called Apo. Mike spoke fondly of the times he spent with Apo learning to fish, collect recycling materials, and sitting on Apo’s knee getting his back scratched.

Mike was an excellent student and graduated from Kailua High School in 1979 and received a B.A. degree in business from the University of Hawaii in 1984. From September 1982 to June 1983 he attended Oregon State University through a student exchange program. That is where he met his future wife, Lisa Schmader. They fell in love quite quickly and Lisa followed him to Hawaii that summer. They were married in May 1985 in Lisa’s hometown of Canby, OR, and in 1986 left Hawaii to settle in Canby. Soon they became the parents of four children: sons Jordan, Taylor, and Spencer, and daughter Mallory. Mike started working at State Farm Insurance in December, 1986, spending time at Portland claim centers and the regional office in Salem, OR. In 1997, a job transfer moved the family to the regional office in DuPont, WA. They bought a home in a quiet, pastoral setting about 7 miles outside the town of Tenino.

Mike was devoted to Lisa, whom he continued to call his “bride” even after almost 30 years of marriage. Together they strove to live out their marriage to its fullest. They did this by having frequent discussions about the books they were reading or ways they were growing individually and together. They made sure to spend ample time together going on dates, dialoguing with other couples on topics related to marriage and faith, and attending Marriage Encounter weekends. Mike and Lisa loved spending time together and played an almost daily game of pinochle. They enjoyed traveling, attending plays and concerts, watching movies and cooking competitions, and trying out different restaurants.

Mike placed his family first. On many Saturdays he would take some or all of his children out “cruising” so they could run errands, stop at a toy, candy, or comic store, and sometimes for a burger or ice cream. Mike also liked to plan family trips to visit his relatives in Hawaii, trips to the Oregon Coast, tent camping, Disneyland, and family mission trips to Mexico. He loved taking his family to Mt. Rainier to play in the snow, as well as other places around the Pacific Northwest. He cherished the close relationship he shared with his kids, both as children and then as adults. Together they enjoyed playing board games, card games, basketball, table tennis, paintball, and creating fireworks displays. He was deeply honored to have been asked to serve as Best Man at his eldest son Jordan’s wedding, and cherished the opportunity to walk his daughter Mallory down the aisle last August when she was married in Hawaii. He said, “I can die a happy man because I’ve walked my daughter down the aisle to marry a very good man.” He also had the privilege of walking his beloved niece Leicey Bickford down the aisle at her Hawaiian wedding in 2013.

Mike cherished his recent role as a grandfather. He chose to be called Apo in honor of his own beloved grandfather. Beginning in 2011 he became Apo to four grandsons: Teague, Finn, Everett and Pax. Spending time with the grandsons and their parents was truly a delight for him. Just prior to Mike’s illness, he and Lisa took a trip to Ohio to meet their newest grandson, Pax. They all recognize the gift that he had the opportunity to spend quality time with them just before he passed.

Mike was deeply spiritual and grounded in his faith. He was known for his solid wisdom and looked upon by many as a spiritual mentor. He challenged himself, and others, to face their weaknesses and work to overcome them and transform. His Catholic faith was most influenced by the writing of Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr and his teachings on men’s spirituality. Mike and Lisa hosted many “guys nights” in their home where many teenagers found a strong spiritual mentor in Mike.

Mike was a lover of nature and took care of the birds that flocked to his yard. He enjoyed spotting eagles and hawks, and took many photos of the wildlife that came near his home, especially a herd of elk that frequently passed by. He also liked to photograph beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and other majestic images of creation. He felt connected to the earth and to all living beings.

In recent years Mike joined the Olympia Aloha Ukulele Pu’ukani (Oly-A), a group of fellow ukulele players, most hailing from Hawaii. Mike enjoyed practicing and performing with the group at local functions. It was his way of staying connected to his cultural heritage. In January 2012, Mike, along with his son Spencer and daughter Mallory, joined his parents Jose and Caridad, brother David, sister Elaine, and other relatives for a trip to the Philippines. Mike and his children enjoyed meeting the many, many relatives living there and learning more about the Filipino culture, especially through the food. It was a treasured experience for each of them.

Mike spoke openly of death, accepting that at some point we all die. This knowledge influenced how he lived each day, making sure those around him knew that they were loved. It also instilled in him the drive to be prepared for the inevitable. A quote from the bookmark he was using: Only when we rest in God can we find the safety, the spaciousness, and the scary freedom to be who we are. – Richard Rohr, OFM . Mike even prepared a letter to be read at his memorial.

Mike is survived by his wife Lisa Gosiaco of Tenino, WA: son Jordan Gosiaco, daughter-in-law Caitlin Gosiaco, and grandson Everett Gosiaco of Lacey, WA; son Taylor Gosiaco, daughter-in-law Alison Gosiaco, and grandsons Teague, Finn, and Pax Gosiaco of Wadsworth, Ohio; son Spencer Gosiaco of Seattle, WA; daughter Mallory Carnett and son-in-law Matthew Carnett of Salem, OR; parents Jose and Caridad Gosiaco of Waimanalo, HI; brother Ronald Gosiaco and family from Waianae, HI; sister Elaine Eckart and family from Waimanalo, HI and Seattle, WA; brother David Gosiaco and family from Waimanalo, HI and Las Vegas, NV, as well as countless extended family. Mike will be missed for his easy smile and infectious laugh, as well as for his kind and thoughtful presence.

Memorial gifts can be sent to:

Kokua Services www.kokuaservices.com or Maryknoll Lay Missioners http://www.mklm.org/donate/

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2015 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey, WA 98503. Hawaiian attire is suggested. Your RSVP is very important! Please RSVP by May 8 to Lisa Gosiaco at: [email protected]