Emil Patrick Michaels nee Michowski

Emil Michaels Emil died in Fort Collins on Jan. 17, 2006, following a long illness. He passed peacefully, in the presence family. 

Mike was born March 17, 1919, in South Bend, Ind. to Chester and Helen Michaels.

He his spent his childhood playing sports  and watching his favorite fighting Irish football team win championships. He graduated from South Bend Central High School, where he was a varsity athlete. He was awarded a partial scholarship for pole vaulting to Indiana University, where he attended prior to enlistment in the Army in 1941. Mike served in Italy in World War II, and upon his discharge in 1946 came to Fort Collins where he purchased a partnership interest in a hardware store with his long time South Bend friend, Robert Osborn.

Mike married a Fort Collins native, Thanet Schureman, in Fort Collins on June 21, 1947, and he is survived by his loving wife of 58 years. In the 1950s, Mike and Thanet with their four boys lived in Chappell, Neb., where Mike coowned a Ford Motor dealership with his brother-law, Fred B. Schureman. Upon returning to Fort Collins in 1959, Mike founded B & M Roofing Company, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 1986.

Mike enjoyed golf, travel, and enthusiastically supported the Denver Broncos and the Notre Dame football teams. He spent several years volunteering for Meals on Wheels and the Saints organizations.

Mike is survived by his wife, Thanet Michaels, and his sons and daughters-in-law, Dan Michaels (JoAnn), Tom Michaels (Kathy), John Michaels (Sandy), and David Michaels (Margie). He leaves four grandchildren, Brooke, Marianne, and Patrick Michaels, and Wendy Clark, and one great -grandchild, Brenley Clark.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 531 South College St. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy be made to Larimer County CASA, or to the charity of donor's choice, care of Allnutt Funeral Service

Sources: Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com

11/18/2025 EJS