Michael Lee Engle's Obituary
Michael Engle, aged 73, passed away on Monday April 8th, after a courageous 3 year battle with cancer. His loving family was by his side when he passed.Mike was born on May 18, 1945 in Washington DC. He spent most of his childhood in Kansas until age 15, when his family moved to Millbrae, CA for his father’s work with TWA at the San Francisco International Airport.Mike worked at De Anza Community College as an Instructor and tenured faculty for 33 years. He was department head of the Machine Tool Technology program, now known as the Manufacturing and CNC Technology program.Mike had a life long love of both flying and boating. He got his private pilots license in the early 1990’s and flew Cessna’s for several years. He then bought his own aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza V tail. He flew his plane along the west coast of the US, all over California and into Nevada, and as far east at Oshkosh, WI.After he retired from teaching, Mike decided to get into boating and bought a Nordhavn 40 trawler. He and his wife crewed this boat as far south as the Channel Islands. He and a buddy crewed the boat nonstop from San Francisco to Anacortes, WA, which was a 4-day trip. Mike and his wife, Lisa, then spent the summer sailing among the San Juan Islands and into Victoria, Canada.Mike and Lisa loved to travel, and together they visited all of the continents except Antarctica. Mike’s favorite trip was their safari to Kenya and Tanzania, then down to Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls.Mike was preceded in death by his parents Clyde and Gladys (Brunk) Engle. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, son Todd and daughter-in-law Mary Rose, son Garett, sister Pam, brother-in-law Lee and his 2 nephews Shannon (wife Wendy) and Matthew. He is also survived by his dear Mini Schnauzer, Benny.
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