Michael A. Votichenko ’68

Michael was born Oct. 8, 1946, the grandson of a Russian émigré and son of a philosopher father. He died of organ failure May 22, 2025, in a Berlin hospital.

Michael attended the Verde Valley School in Sedona, Ariz., and then went on to Princeton, majoring in philosophy and religion. He became a committed participant in the anti-Vietnam War movement, hosting an informal progressive “salon” in his dorm room to carry on discussions with Princetonians interested in the ideas and principles behind the anti-war protests.

After graduation he continued his studies of political thought in Europe, especially in Spain and Germany. Eventually, he returned to the U.S., settling in the Bay Area of California where he worked in journalism.

Michael became an active supporter of the labor movement. He worked for the Citizens Action League (CAL) in the Bay Area, where he rose to prominence. CAL organized poor people around bread-and-butter issues like utility rates, an effort at which Michael excelled. After his years at CAL, he moved on to work at the National Labor  Relations Board.

Michael had two children from an earlier marriage, Fredrika and Jean-Luc, whom he cared for deeply when he married Brigitte in 2008. They lived in a suburb of Berlin, where they cultivated a lovely garden and tried to cope with Michael’s serious health problems that hampered his mobility and ultimately contributed to his death. Despite his failing health, Michael loved his life in Berlin and maintained an upbeat attitude until the end.