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![]() ![]() Mike was an excellent teacher, and also started the HOST program (Helping One Student at a Time). ![]() His concern for children’s well-being didn’t stop with his own, of course. Mike did insist the kids do well in school, and that they make it home by their curfew - else they see dad waiting for them at the door when they arrived home. Camping, kayaking, skiing … any excuse to be outside and to be together. He coached any sport they were involved in, and the family did much together, too. Mike was a terrific dad, mildly strict but always supportive and of course, involved. After moving to Holland in 1984, they celebrated the birth of their second child, son Ben, in 1988. They settled in Allegan, and it wasn’t long before the newlyweds became parents, as well, with their daughter Laura born in 1983. The couple dated for five years, before getting married on Jat St. They hit it off, and Cindy even signed his cast - complete with her phone number! Equipped with a cast, Mike soon headed out for a night on the town in Saugatuck with some friends, where he met a beautiful young woman named Cindy Johnson. Never a spectator, Mike broke his leg one day while playing basketball with his students. While he was teaching, he also continued learning, earning his master’s degree in education from Western Michigan University. He then began substitute teaching for a year, before landing a fulltime teaching job at Douglas Elementary, south of Holland. Even still, he always managed to achieve good grades.Īfter graduating from West Ottawa, Mike went to Grand Valley State University, getting his bachelor’s degree in education. He was also a very bright young man, though not a big fan of schoolwork. He was definitely part of the “in” crowd (never a spectator, remember). Mike was a great athlete as a boy, and excelled at football and especially swimming for the Panthers, and with his outgoing personality, Mike was a very popular student. Francis deSales Catholic School, before heading to West Ottawa High School. His mom eventually remarried, and the family moved to Holland, where Mike attended St. His time at the orphanage had a profound impact on him, and inspired him to help children the rest of his life. John’s Orphanage for about a year, until his mother could get them back on their feet. Alfonse Catholic School as a boy, but when he was in the second grade, their home burned down, a tragic blow to the struggling family. The kids became very close, and watched out for each other as a result. His mom began working a second-shift job to support the large family, leaving Mike and his siblings in the care of babysitters and neighbors during the evening. Mike was the fifth of the couple’s seven children, joining five brothers and a sister, though his parents divorced when he was just a boy. On Thursday, November 13, 1952, Tony and Myrtle (Hunt) Battaglia celebrated the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Michael. Those were tumultuous times in this country, which was battling the Korean War and the Cold War, as the civil rights movement intensified here at home. Mike’s story began on a cold fall day in 1952, in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was a devoted husband, loving father and faithful friend, and a man always willing to learn. He was a remarkable man, who led a remarkable life, a man who made a difference to so many lives in his time with us. He always got involved, participated, helped, and encouraged others. Mike Battaglia was never content to live his life as a spectator. ![]()
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