I never really got to see my uncle Mike much, he was like the father I never got to have... he was the kindest and smartest person I met. and the last thing I said to him was not just I love you. but it was "I'll see you around Christmas." I still miss him to this day... - Wyatt matheson

The news of Mike to all those who loved him is withstood by the deepest of sadness. To, Ellen, his beautiful wife and life partner, we are sincerely at a loss for words. May you find beauty in the ways that Mike's memory has brought smiles and laughter to his many friends, colleagues and all those who encountered him: a loving dad, faithful friend, sports fan and intellect, Mike will always be in our hearts and homes. We love you Mike, today and always.

Dan & Liane Hooper

Ellen, my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family on the passing of Mike.

Mike and I very briefly crossed paths at Encana in 2003/4. Little did I realize at that time we would work closely together, later in our careers, at another company. During this time Mike became a great friend and a respected colleague. His insights and business sense on the projects we worked on were invaluable. He possessed an incredible depth of knowledge of the Land side of the oil and gas business, his business management and economics acumen was flawless. He often joked about not being a geologist, but he impressed me with the ability to not only grasp the key points of what I was explaining but also synthesize them into what was relevant to projects.

I loved the infectious passion and energy he brought to our working relationship. We also had many great discussions about life in general. His bubbly greeting to me, always said with a smiling face and bright eyes, “hey Nige how you doing”, will always remain with me.

Rest easy Mike.

Mike’s daughter, my wife, Nicole, has become the strong, confident, humble and kind woman that she is today because of the relentless support and encouragement from her loving father. I will forever cherish the time that I got to spend with Mike. He was the greatest father in law I could’ve asked for… His legacy will live on through his children and grandchildren.

I first met Mike in 1990 when I hired him for a position in our Land A&D group at Chevron. Many of the members of the group were at the beginning of their careers, and there was a very strong bond among the group members that remains special to this day. Mike was an integral part of this, with his natural skills with the subject matter, his dedication and, most importantly, his character and great sense of humour.

We stayed in touch after he left the “Chevron nest” to pursue other opportunities after this foundational assignment. I was proud to see his subsequent growth as a land professional, the unique deals he was able to complete for his employers and the entrepreneurial approach he consistently applied to his work.

While we never worked on a file together after Mike left Chevron, I did have the privilege of working closely with him on the most recent updates to the CAPL Operating Procedure, the CAPL Farmout & Royalty Procedure and the CAPL Property Transfer Procedure. His drafting insights helped make those major industry documents much better than they would have been without his participation in those projects, such that those documents will be a significant part of his professional legacy.

Of much greater importance is who Mike was as a man, as a family member and as a friend. He was very intelligent, with a world view and a gift with words. He had a great sense of humour that was often self-deprecating, and he was fun to be around. He was a good, decent man, who built strong friendships that were meant to last.

His greatest sense of joy was his family, and this was apparent whenever he spoke of Ellen, Nikki and Chris and the hopes he had for them.

The world is a lesser place today without Mike in it.

I consider myself fortunate to have been his friend.

My condolences.

Jim MacLean

From the day we were born, our dad, our Baba, has been the greatest protector, supporter, and man we’ve ever known. He taught us countless lessons throughout his life, but the most important lesson he taught us was to believe in ourselves knowing that he’d be there to guide us if we needed him. He cheered us on in everything we did, from Timbits soccer leagues to high school basketball championships. We’re so fortunate to have endless memories with him because he made such an immense effort to show up for us, always.

We will always cherish simply talking to him. He could spend hours and hours enthusiastically discussing and debating history, politics, and sports, with the only thing he loved talking about more being the pride, love, and hope he had for us and our futures. He spoke often of his excitement at the arrival of his first grandchild, Callie, whom he instantly adored and who will forever know and cherish him as her Opa and her guardian angel.

We remember how much he loved music. The way he would dance and sing and laugh along to his favorite songs, whether it was in the car, at home on the deck, or out in public to make us laugh is a true representation of who he was. A joyous and funny man who never failed to bring a smile to the faces of those he loved. His memory will forever live on in our special songs.

Words cannot describe the pride we have in calling him our father. He will be remembered for being the kindest, most loving, funny, charismatic, and brilliant person in every room he walked into in the eyes of his family and friends. Although he is no longer here with us, we know he will continue to watch over us and guide us in the afterlife just as much as he did throughout our lives. He always has been and always will be our hero, our Baba, and we love him endlessly.

“Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you, when you get where you’re goin’ don’t forget turn back around, and help the next one in line, always stay humble and kind.”

Love,

Nikki and Chris