Michael is survived by his wife, Diana Watson, daughter, Christina Schwarz (David), grand-daughter, Cassidy Schwarz, mother, Jane Watson, sisters, Marianne Richards (Jim) & Michelle Orlando, in-laws, Donald and Shirley Weber, brother-in-laws, Donald and Ronald (Dianne) Weber, and twelve nieces & nephews.
Michael was preceded in death by his father, Jim Watson, his sister, Lisa Coyle, and his uncle, Lee Alverado.
Mike graduated from Fresno High School in 1973, he attended Fresno City College for a while then he began his working career as a department manager at Zodys Department Store where he met and then married the love of his life in 1976. Ten years later the happy couple were blessed with a baby girl who was the center of his world. He was a devoted husband and father who understood the importance of family. In 1994, an unknown illness attacked his liver, but not his spirit. He was able to conquer the illness by surviving a liver transplant and with the help of his wife they founded a support group, The Gift of Life Family Support Group, to help others with their transplant journey. In 1996, he readily took over the family business of ABC Sweeping as the owner operator until he retired in the year 2017. In 2009, Mike was forced into another battle when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After many intense rounds of chemotherapy he was successful at beating cancer. He was able to live cancer free for 4 years, until more rounds of chemotherapy were needed to keep the cancer from metastasizing. He was a genuine warrior over the course of his many health battles showing courage and true grit.
Throughout Mike’s life he had many hobbies which included camping, RV-ing, bar-b-queing, boot collecting, and more. Some of his accomplishments include running a successful business, co-leading a transplant support group, and having recently celebrated 27 years of being a transplant survivor. He loved spending quality time with friends and family both camping up in the Sierra Nevada’s and Rv-ing at Pismo Beach. Mike and Diana were very fortunate to travel and have many lasting adventures together with their family, camping family, and friends. Mike was a natural people person who was able to strike up conversations with anyone wherever he went and was able to turn those conversations into lasting friendships. Anyone who met Mike would always compliment him on his optimistic outlook on life. He chose to live his life by always focusing on the positives. He will be missed, but never forgotten.
A Message from Mike:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me the strength and the conviction to complete the tasks that you entrusted to me. Thank you for guiding me straight and true through the many obstacles in my path. And for keeping me resolute when all around seemed lost. Thank you for your protection and for your many signs along the way. Thank you for any good that I may have done, and I am so very sorry about the bad. Thank you for my family and for the friends I have made. Please watch over them as you watched over me. Thank you for finally allowing me to rest. I am so very tired. But I go now to my rest at peace knowing that I have done right with my time on Earth. I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith, and I did it my way.
Remembrances may be made to Donate Life America, 701 East Byrd Street, 15th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219.
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