Tag Archives: coworkers

Great Leader

Posted on by under memories

I worked with Mike for about 2 years. Him and I quickly became a team. He was the best boss that I ever worked for. One of the things we had in common was elk hunting. When I found out he had shot a 406 BC Bull elk I was hooked. I love to elk hunt and so did he, so we had a lot of stories to tell to each other. I am so glad that he got to hunt with his son this last Fall. He spoke about that hunt for months before it came. He was so excited to be able to spend a week with him hunting.

Every morning when I came into his office to discuss the work for the day he always had a big smile. He would say “hey buddy”. It was like he had not seen me for a few months. One thing that I heard him say on a regular basis was “I stand behind my men no matter what”. I learned so many things from Mike in the time that I knew him. It is an honor to have known him. You will be greatly missed up here at Columbia Generating Station.

Geoff Schneider

a strong and courageous man

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Dear Laurel & Family, my thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time. I met Mike in 2003 when I was the site manager at Millstone Power Station while we were working for Atlantic Union Resources. Mike is one of most professional people I’ve ever worked with, he certainly made my job a pleasure. We got to be very good friends during the two years we worked together until I retired. During years that passed, we kept in touch and I always looked forward to talking to him. Last November I heard from my son (who’s name is Mike also) that Mike was not doing so well, I called Mike And left a message on his cell phone asking him or his family to get back to me. What a great surprise I got when Mike returned my call the next day. Mike said he had some issues but he was going fight them head on, Mike also told me how glad he was that I called him, which made me feel good. I will always remember that conversation, because in listening to Mike he showed me what a strong and courageous man he was in dealing with his illness. In closing Mike often talked of you Laurel and your children. He loved you all so much

May God Bless Mike In Heaven as He Did On Earth

God Bless You All

Bill Scarano

Life at the Plant

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Life at a Nuclear Plant is full of ups and downs. Long hours and intense issues can make for a bleak outlook, but some on your team shine light that keep everyone pushing forward. Mike was that light on our team.

We had a strong leader with pride in his work that showed us how to remain humble as he faced adversity with a smirk on his face. Mike always knew when to add his humor to a situation. Often times when problems arose, he would turn to the guy next to him and say, “What are you worried about? You’ve got Me and all I’ve got is YOU!” I remember asking once how I could help and he replied, “I think it would be best if you went out and sat in the van….AND DON’T TOUCH THE RADIO!” The laughter took the edge off but when the battles were over, Mike never forgot to say ‘Thank you’ and it made us know we were appreciated.

No matter how much he had on his shoulders, Mike always found time to be concerned about his crew. Many times he would come into the office, kick his feet up and ask “How’s life?” Conversations always came easy and it was clear that he was genuinely listening. Mike always had a way of sharing his stories too, but the times I will cherish most are when he talked about His family. The smile he wore when talking about baseball games, softball practice, and even riding donkeys showed us all where his heart was. He explained that he had a lovely wife, a brilliant minded son, a tall blonde beauty, and a black haired Italian princess. It was clear that they were what brought him joy and he spoke of each of them proudly. We enjoyed hearing about his dogs, the pond he was building, and how much he loved fishing. Many times he complained about the flights he had to take but Mike always made sure to get on a plane as often as he could.

Thank you, Mike. You have touched the lives of so many of us. Life here at the Plant just won’t be the same without you. You will be greatly missed and fondly remembered-

Stacey Slape

Columbia Generating Station, WA State

Mike

Posted on by under memories

I remember Mike helping me understand the contract. Good man. Good friend. Strong leader. I am grateful to have known him. He enriched my life.