Michael Kasztelan

Kasztelan, Dr. Michael Joseph, Age 63, September 1, 1957- November 29, 2020 Beloved husband of Mira for 31 years.Loving father of Shaina, Amanda, Marisa, Jacob (Qingzhuo) and the late Joseph. Dear son of the late Chester and Mary and brother of the late Roberta Buelow. Michael was first and foremost a family man who shared a deep, loving bond with his wife, 5 children and his spoiled dog Trudy (who honestly was his favorite child who could do no wrong). The love story that he wrote with Mira spanned half of his life and across millions of miles- he adored her passion, her intelligence and her sense of style. The love they shared knows no bounds and we're sure he's already planning many adventures for them to go on together when they are reunited in the afterlife. They raised 5 children together, tragically losing the late Joseph to cancer, which only sought to bring the family closer together. All of his children warmly reminisce of the fun yet educational trips their parents would take them on well into their adulthood. Michael taught his children so many valuable life lessons, encouraging leadership and giving them the wisest, most honest advice, whether they wanted to hear it or not, which shaped them into the successful and unique individuals they are today. He worked very hard to get to his position; when his dad passed away when Michael was 18, he was destined to take care of his mother and sister while working 3 jobs to put himself through medical school while also earning scholarships. His work ethic was very admirable and he got a huge reward from his career as a family practice medical doctor helping people. While he loved his staff and his patients, he was very happy to take full advantage of his retirement during the last few years of his life. He was a teacher of many topics, notably history and science, and probably would have been a winning Jeopardy player with the amount of random knowledge he possessed. He was very interested in his family genealogy and was proud to share traditions from his Polish and Italian cultural background. He loved learning about other cultures and really broadened his horizons and his culinary palette with the addition of Qingzhuo, Jacob's wife whom his son met while serving in the US Marines, to the family. Michael was a man of many talents; he was an avid gardener, a violinist, a talented home chef, a photographer, a skilled technical painter, a woodworker, and a patient fisherman. He was an extremely creative individual and a seasoned world traveler who created annual scrapbooks highlighting his favorite memories with his adventurous family. One of his favorite places to spend time at was the family cottage up north, especially during the fall when he could see the beauty in the colors of the leaves and the sunsets. Michael was taken from us way too soon, as he had many plans for future endeavors around the world with his wife. Although he is gone from us in the physical realm, his spirit lives on through his loving family whose tight knit bond will give them strength during this tragic time. Visitation Saturday 2-8 pm and Sunday from 11:30 am until the time of the funeral service Sunday 1:30 pm the Wm. Sullivan and Son Funeral Home, 8459 Hall Road (3 Blks E. of Van Dyke) Utica. Do to COVID 19 restrictions we will be limiting visitation to 25 people at a time and ask that all visitors wear a mask. In lieu of flowers, donations appreciated to the Belle Isle Conservancy. Please share a memory at www.sullivanfuneraldirectors.com

Michael Kasztelan

September 1, 1957 - November 29, 2020