- Date Of Birth: November 19, 1984
- Date Of Death: October 8, 2016
- State: Michigan
Passed away on Saturday, October 8, 2016. Age 31. Michael was born in Kalamazoo on November 19, 1984, the son of Greg and Karen Hokenson. He loved hockey; starting at age 2 in the backyard with Dad and soon desired to climb that mountain as far as he could go.
He played minor hockey through Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association and also a year (Pee Wee AA) in Jackson Area Hockey Association. He was the goalie for the 2002-2003 Loy Norrix/Hackett High School hockey team, helping them to win their first local playoff in several years. He graduated from Loy Norrix High School and then went on to play junior hockey with the Laconia Leafs (New Hampshire), the Saanich Braves (British Columbia), and finishing with the Belle River Canadians (Ontario, Canada). His formal playing finished with the WMU Stallions Club team and his favorite coach (high school and WMU club) Wayne Pushie.
He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2015, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing. But,…..Most of all, Michael had a huge, God-shaped heart and was known for his caring, attentive, loving and gentle, soulful nature. An artist from an early age, in recent years the artist in Michael re-emerged and he began to formally express this through writing, poetry and song.
He is survived by his parents, Greg and Karen Hokenson; sisters, Sarah (Eric) Therkildsen, Grace (Luke) Schneider and Jennifer (Matt) Henderson; and most richly by Teila Bauer, the Love of his life; nieces and nephews, Clayton, Jeriah and Mathias Therkildsen, Olivia, Elizabeth and Julia Schneider and Jessalyn Henderson; grandparents, Rodney and Helen Hokenson; aunts and uncles, Chris (Todd) Hartman, Ken Small, Stina Hokenson and Steven Hokenson; cousins, Nikki, Joshua and Jordan Hartman, Mark and Peter McCrae-Hokenson; and numerous friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Philip and Wanda Small; and his uncle, James Hokenson.
