Michael Motejl of Warwick passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019. He was 72 years old.
He was born Nov. 7, 1946, in Portland, Oregon, to Otto and Marie Motejl.
He was predeceased by his brother Russell Motejl and his sister Marlene Haldors.
Mike spent the first 18 years of his life living in Sandy, Oregon. Growing up, he loved the outdoors, playing school sports and helping his dad with the family logging business.
Following school, he joined the Marine Reserve Corps.
An Oregonian by birth and spirit, he moved to New York in his early twenties where he flew helicopters and then started his lifelong career in the ski industry.
For more than 30 years, Mike was the Operations Manager for Sterling Forest Ski Center in Tuxedo. It was a job he loved and a job where those who worked for him appreciated his sense of humor, dry-wit and most of all, his kindness.
Upon leaving Sterling Forest, Mike worked at Campgaw Ski Area in Mahwah, N.J., for four years.
Mike loved reading, being active and watching sports – especially the Yankees, a team for which he was a season ticket holder for many years. He had a love for golf and his Sunday morning tee times.
But his favorite memories were from his vacations on Cape Cod with his family and friends where he’d spend hours fishing, inevitably coming back to recount stories of the “big fish that got away.”
In later years, he loved to skip rocks into the bay with his beloved grandsons.
Mike was good-natured, fun to be around and loved by all that knew him. His greatest joy was spending time with his family, especially his grandsons Matteo and Nico. He is already missed by many.
Mike is survived by his wife of 44 years, Laurie; daughters Abby Cundari and her husband Christian of Boston, Mass., and Sara Motejl and her husband Thomas Driver of Brooklyn; and son Lucas Motejl of Warwick; two grandsons, Matteo and Nico; sisters-in-law Robyn Pagano and husband Bert and Kim Van Dillen; along with many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held Sept. 11 at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick.
A funeral service was held Sept. 12 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mike’s memory to the American Heart Association or Alzheimer’s Association.
Arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home. To send an online condolence, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com.