Michael G. Fluck, our beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend returned to the loving arms of his Heavenly Father Friday, January 4, 2008.

The youngest of five children, Mike was born November 16, 1971 in Jersey Shore, PA to Roy and Phyllis Fluck. He attended Jersey Shore High School and graduated in 1990. After high school, Mike worked several jobs including a pizza parlor, nursing home and a nursery where although the work was dirty, it allowed Mike the opportunity to work with plants which he loved! Mike was a horticulturist in his heart – always tending and caring for flowers, plants, shrubs and trees. The more exotic the plant, the better!

Mike had many interests besides plants. He was also an amateur meteorologist. Mike was fascinated by weather and was naturally curious about what created storms and understood what barometric pressure is! There wasn't a weather station that Mike didn't want. If it was digital and told the temperature, wind speed and humidity, it was a must have!

Mike was a musical genius. Although he wished so much to know how to play guitar and piano, his music talents were in the history of music rather than the playing. Ask Mike anything about the music from the past 30 years and he'd know. Not only could he tell you who sung a song, but he could tell you who sung it first and what year the song was released. If Mike could have met Casey Kasem, it would have been a dream come true!

Mike loved gadgets. If it lit up, moved, involved massive amounts of bass, could be watched on the dash of his beloved Land Rover – the Titan-Mobile – it was a gadget that must be his. Mike loved his electronics and it didn't matter if the electronics were the newest inventions – the old standbys like transistor radios and vinyl turntables still had a place in Mike's life.

Mike was an avid fan of the Tennessee Titans. Prior to meeting Kris, he couldn't have cared any less for football. But Mike got caught up in the excitement when Nashville got their own team and before long he was a huge fan. If Mike could have anything, it would have been for Nashville to be beach front property and for season tickets to Titans games.

Yes, Mike had many interests that he loved but he loved nothing more than his family. Again, Mike and his gadgets, this time a computer and online chat introduced him to the love of his life Kristine Westover. Kris and Mike's romance began as the old fashioned tale of boy meets girl with a futuristic twist. They met in a country music chat room on the Prodigy online service on October 10, 1995. Nightly chats quickly became routine as they discussed a common interest in country music and joked around in very similar ways. Nothing Mike would say could gross Kris out. He knew that as soon as he could discuss any type of bodily function with her, she was the girl for him. In February, 1996 they met in person for the first time. They spent 9 glorious days together touring the San Francisco bay area and playing at Universal Studios and Disneyland in Southern California. It had been Mike's first time on an airplane and his first time being so far away from home. Mike and Kris' relationship was met with serious doubts, especially by their mothers. Kris' mom thought that this boy from Pennsylvania was surely a hatchet murderer and Mike's mom was certain that Kris was one of those liberal feminist girls you hear about out in California, complete with tattoos and several body piercings. Both were wrong.

In the fall of 1996, Kris' dream of moving to Nashville, Tennessee was realized. An impromptu job interview and subsequent job offer from the Opryland hotel found Mike returning to Pennyslvania to pack his things and return 2 weeks later to reside with Kris and work as a security officer.

Mike and Kris quickly made Tennessee their home. They welcomed their first "baby" – a Pekinese mixed-breed they named Jesse in October 1996.

Mike proposed to Kris on Christmas day 1996. On September 27, 1997, Mike and Kris were married on the front porch of an old southern mansion in McMinnville, TN. Later, they welcomed another new fur baby, a blonde tabby – Mike's "little man" – whom they named Garth.

Kris and Mike purchased their first home in LaVergne, TN in the spring of 1998. It was there that Mike, with great enthusiasm planted his gardens and set up a home that was officially "HIS". He took great pride in his home. In April, 1998, Kris and Mike added to their fur baby family when they brought home a shy white as snow little fur ball they named Rachel. Kris has always been an avid lover of animals and she was delighted to accommodate Mike's wishes for pets as all three were his ideas!

In the spring of 1999, through a lot of praying and hoping and luck, Mike was hired by Southwest Airlines. Mike loved his new career. From the beginning he knew that his career path had been set. He made many friends and forged relationships that could never be broken.

A year later, Mike chose to move his family to the Salt Lake valley in Utah. Kris' family had settled there after moving from California and were experiencing many difficulties. Mike was vitally aware of the concern his wife had for her family and made the loving sacrifice of warmer weather and his new home in Tennessee to relocate to the mountainous and barren deserts of Utah. Mike may have been fascinated by weather but he detested winter and all it brings with it. His willingness to be amongst the cold, wind and snow is a true testament to his character and love.

After 4 years of marriage, the only thing missing was children. Although they desired to start a family immediately upon marrying, Kris and Mike endured several childless years. Bad timing a part of it, but mostly health reasons prevented the children from coming. Their prayers were answered, however when again another Christmas day miracle in 2001 revealed that they would finally welcome a baby of their own in the late summer of 2002.

Michaela Kristine Fluck was born August 30, 2002 and it was the happiest moment of Mike and Kris' lives. Mike is a devoted father. His love for his little girl – his princess – held no bounds. Due to his work schedule, he had the unusual privilege of caring for Michaela during most days. This blessing of time with her Dad will be cherished always.

Fatherhood changed Mike spiritually. With the impending arrival of his daughter looming, Mike found himself investigating the LDS faith. He made the decision to be baptized shortly before Michaela's birth and on October 12, 2002 he entered the waters of baptism. His learning continued and a year later, Mike, Kris and Michaela were sealed as an eternal family in the Salt Lake Temple on Kris' birthday - December 2, 2003.

In 2004, Mike and Kris purchased their home in West Jordan, UT. They settled in with Michaela and their fur-babies where Mike continued to work for Southwest until his passing on January 4, 2008. Mike, Kris and Michaela were inseparable in life as they will be in death. His love for his family is felt daily and his family knows that they will be watched over. Mike will rest at the foot of a majestic mountain which Mike's mother-in-law refers to as "God's Mountain". This mountain is viewable from his daughter's new bedroom window. Any time she wishes, she need only look out her window and see that God's Mountain protects her Daddy.

Mike was welcomed into Heaven by his mother, Phyllis Fluck who preceded him in death on November 26, 2007. He is survived by his wife Kris, daughter Michaela, father Roy Fluck; brothers David (Cheri) Fluck, Dennis Fluck; sisters Sherry (Bill) Schaefer, and Shelly (Steve) Bechdel all from Pennsylvania. Mike is also survived by 10 nephews, 16 nieces, 4 grand-nieces and numerous cousins and extended family located throughout the United States.

Funeral services were Saturday, January 12, 2008 with memorial services held in Jersey Shore, PA on Sunday, January 20, 2008. Mike rests at the Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, UT.

The family requests that voluntary donations be offered to Mike's daughter, Michaela Fluck in lieu of flowers.