Mike entered Princeton from Harley School in Rochester, N.Y., majored in chemistry, and roomed with Joe Murphy and Matt Loufek. He nursed an ambition to be a writer. His roommates recall a book he had written and sent them in mimeograph form. Mike’s academic love was philosophy, however, and after graduation he went to Harvard for an advanced degree. While there he was drafted into the Army and sent to the Arctic. He came to love Alaska and returned to it several times after his service.
Mike moved to California, pursued graduate studies at Berkeley, where he met his wife, Sharon Kane, and started a career in publishing, becoming an executive at Addison Wesley. He went into entrepreneurial activities in emerging-computer technologies, working with leading firms like Bolt, Beranek & Newman and Lotus Software.
Mike’s talents and passions ranged from fishing in Alaska to writing essays and novels — some elements of which are reflected in his essay for our 50th yearbook, including his poem, “How to Clean a Fish.”
He is survived by Sharon; three children, Joshua, Raphael, and Syvia; and six grandchildren. To them all, our class extends its deepest condolences.