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Uncle Mike

Thinking back on all our memories with you and the times we all got to spend together, the thing that stands out to me is how you were always, without fail, so happy and excited to see us and spend time with us.
Your positive energy and brilliant sense of humour whenever we were all together was infectious.

Our hearts are heavy right now, but will always be full of the brilliant memories and great laughs we all had with you. I'll cherish that forever.

Love you so much & you'll always be in my thoughts.

Boonie xxx

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Uncle Mike,

Since the day you showed me how to do my first bicep curl, I have always been looking up to you.

I can’t thank you enough for the love, support and inspiration
you always gave me.

You were always my biggest supporter!

We miss you so much mate. Thinking of you always!

Love you,
Cabby

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Uncle Mike,

I thought I would share a few pics from Boxing Day 2015. South Africa v England at Kingsmead. The morning session was done, to our delight the England openers back in the sheds for no runs and we were enjoying a a few cold ones behind the stands during the break.....hard to script a better scene. A day I will always cherish.

When I think back of all the fond memories and read the stories below, in any moment you always brought joy, happiness and laughter to those around you.

Thinking of you always mate.

Stretch

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Mike,

It's hard to begin writing this knowing that these words will never do you justice, but I'll try my best.

It was a complete pleasure knowing you. You were always the eternal optimist, you always had a smile on your face, and that smile was contagious. Our weekly calls with you meant so much. Asking "howzit" , and "what's news" really gave me the head start for my South African slang! The first time I met you you had the Highland Fling blaring, you had bought it at a flea market just as we came to visit. Thank you for instantly making me feel so welcome and part of the family.

Thank you for introducing me to my first potjie,  and my first skottle. Thank you for taking me to get my braces fixed in Durban. Thank you for poking fun at the way I say "book". Thank you for making fun of Brad when he misspelled my name (Clany has stuck and it's not budging!) Thank you for always asking after my family, every single time we spoke.

But most of all thank you for raising the most superb man. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have raised an honest, intelligent, and loving man and I promise we will make you proud. Nothing was ever too much trouble for you, please know how much you are loved and how much you are missed. You will always be with us.

Love always,
Rabbish

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Mike
A traditional Irish Blessing especially for you my Buddy:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Lots of love

Neddo

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Mikhail as I always called you!
It’s so hard to believe you aren’t with us anymore!!!
My mate, my golf coach, my Durban drinking Buddy, my Brother in Law and the Head Honcho of the Ellis Cole Clan.
I’ll never forget when I first met you.
I let Tones down on New Years Eve. You were so protective over your little sister( not my finest hour) and you let me know your feelings in no uncertain terms!!!!
As the years passed we became Brothers in Law and Partners in crime!!!!
Best mates, sharing laughs, abusing everyone and most of all plannng our next golf game strategising on how we were going to beat Gavin and Jock!
I wasn’t the best pupil and can’t remember beating them although we both always believed we could!
My heart is heavy posting this, I’ve been putting it off for days- sorry my Buddy!!!!!
Love you always- you were one of a kind !
See you on the other side my mate!
Cheers for now
Neddo

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Mike,
Tomorrow we are all gathering, at different times of the day, wherever we may be, from one side of the world to the other, to remember you with love and the fondest of memories.
I have put off putting "pen to paper" until now because I haven't been able to find the words, I haven't been able to gather the strength and I have dreaded actually saying my farewell ....... I just cannot do it.  I have found such comfort in going through all the old photos and I can remember each and every occasion, right back to when we were kids, but still, my heart literally aches!
Every single day since you have left us, I have found myself stopping in my tracks and saying "it just cannot be, it just cannot be true"!
They say that each person has their place in the family system and that things can get thrown off balance when someone in the family dies and that sometimes this can weaken the family system - YES, we have all certainly been thrown off balance, but NO, we will not allow that to happen to us - you are with us to make sure our family system goes from strength to strength, you are with us while we watch over your beautiful children and their families, and I promise you that we will all do that, mark my words - we are not a family that will be thrown off balance  - #WEWILLALWAYSB4
My heart aches that I wasn't around in the hardest months of your life - you were so strong whenever I spoke to you and you soldiered on until the bitter end - Linda and Kate kept me so well informed, you tried to protect me by saying you were fine - again, my heart aches at the thought of the battle you had and I am trying to take comfort knowing that you are safely with Mum and Dad watching over us all - you were always so caring, so thoughtful and so interested in us all and I thank you for that!
With all my heart my dear big brother, I love you and until we meet again .......... ❤️

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A proud moment with my big brother at our Northway front door - Natal Schools Hockey selectiob

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A proud moment with my big brother at our Northway front door - Natal Schools Hockey selectiob

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Windie (I loved that we called each other that by the way). Actually, I loved the way that you gave nicknames to everyone, so much so that I remember MY friends asking you to give them a nickname so that they could feel in on the action!                                                                            You have left a big, wide open space in our lives. Much more than I was ever expecting to feel. I think a lot of that has to do with the way that you celebrated those you loved as if we had just won the World Cup!  You never missed a ‘good luck for exams’ phone call or a ‘Go huge Windie’ message. For every important and even the not-so-important milestones in my life, I knew with absolute certainty that you would be one of the first on the phone to congratulate me and tell me that you were raising a glass to celebrate. You were always, always in our corner!                                                                                                               We knew just how much you loved us, and that meant the world.      And so Windie, you have left us with a lot of tears, a lot of old stories that are bringing us laughs, beautiful children and their families, 3 amazing siblings who are missing you and missing each other but mainly you have left us with great big gap where all of your love for us goes- and we miss it and you every day!                                                  See you soon Winds, love you xxxx  

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Windie (I loved that we called each other that by the way). Actually, I loved the way that you gave nicknames to everyone, so much so that I remember MY friends asking you to give them a nickname so that they could feel in on the action!                                                                            You have left a big, wide open space in our lives. Much more than I was ever expecting to feel. I think a lot of that has to do with the way that you celebrated those you loved as if we had just won the World Cup!  You never missed a ‘good luck for exams’ phone call or a ‘Go huge Windie’ message. For every important and even the not-so-important milestones in my life, I knew with absolute certainty that you would be one of the first on the phone to congratulate me and tell me that you were raising a glass to celebrate. You were always, always in our corner!                                                                                                               We knew just how much you loved us, and that meant the world.      And so Windie, you have left us with a lot of tears, a lot of old stories that are bringing us laughs, beautiful children and their families, 3 amazing siblings who are missing you and missing each other but mainly you have left us with great big gap where all of your love for us goes- and we miss it and you every day!                                                  See you soon Winds, love you xxxx  

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#wewillalwaysbe4

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I find peace looking at the old photos Mike ....

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I find peace looking at the old photos Mike ....

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So much love and respect for you, Mike 💕

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He's so proud of you 💙

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My heart is shattered.Finding the words is difficult when I am struggling to process & express the emotion I feel.. some days I can’t believe that you aren’t here and it’s too much for me to bear..

You were my biggest supporter and I love how you were always the optimist..& every moment I wish that I had said more, done more, made more videos, taken more photos.

One of my favourite memories is when you and I would go to the driving range in Pietermaritzburg and hit some balls.. you even bought me a pink golf bag..

I was sure (only because of your encourage and motivation) I could be the next Pro female golfer! Even though I had only managed to hit about 5 balls out of the entire bucket!

Even though I was not the best hockey player and initially started out in the lowest team they could assemble... I love that you came to find out what time my hockey game was for the following Saturday morning...only to discover...that night I had snuck out of the house... (I also had convinced my mate, I was quite capable of riding his scooter and had the intention of going off, gallivanting around Durbanville).

It was divinely timed, of this am I sure, that as you were leaving the house..I rode by on this scooter!

I miss and love your encouraging & supportive words...’what do you need Pud?’

‘Pud, you just have to hang in there my girl’...‘you’ve got to just keep on going’

& almost every time we spoke... ‘when last did you speak with your brother?’

You always used to track my flight when ever I would be flying.. and it was so strange recently not to have you asking for my flight details..so you could track and watch on your Flight App... and even harder after I arrived here... that I couldn’t call you and show you the snow!

I trust that will eventually get easier.. I trust that we will see each other again in spirit... & I trust that I will always remember your infectious laugh & those blue eyes!

I’m proud of you Dad... you are the strongest, most resilient person I know.
I trust you are in peace now & I love you more that words could express.
Feel my love for you each day & please surround me with yours. I miss you.

Love you Dad,

❤️Pud

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Dear Mike,

With a  broken heart and a missing part of me, I am writing you a letter. The last time I would have written to you, you were in the navy.

I miss you - I miss how quiet my phone is. I miss your silly jokes and I miss your immediate reaction to messages. I  miss your non-judgementalism and your optimism.  I miss you asking what everyone's weekend plans were. I miss your enthusiasm about the simple things, which were actually the important things. I miss the chaos and crazy that you brought - life was never boring when you were around. I miss "just a small one" and I miss "there's this deal". I miss the unequivocal support of us all, even when you didn't really like/agree with what we were doing. I miss you telling me that Jess (Windie) would be okay and I should stop worrying. I miss my biggest fan.

I hope you know Mike, how much you were loved. I  will never listen to PokerFace, Pretty Belinda, In the Living Years and Viva la Vida without tears and a sore heart but also a smile.

You were so tired and so sore Mike, but you still had a kind word and needed to know "what everyone's news was".

Nicola and Brad, you were his world. He was so proud of you - you could do no wrong in his eyes. Carry that love with you always.

Mike, you aren't with us here but you are in our hearts forever.

All my love
Lightie

#wewillalwaysbe4

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Howzit Carts is how he greeted me for all the years I new Mike. It was not the greeting,
but the happiness in his voice, the positive attitude that he always had that made the difference in your day. I got to know Mike about 18 months before I even knew Kate so thanks to Mike and Tone for setting me up for the rest of my life. In all that time , regardless of what was going on around him Mike was always only seeing the massive upside of life. Proud of his wonderful children to the point of extreme!! A gentleman but most of all a friend !!!!!

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This day feels like yesterday ♥❤

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The 4 of us ..... Mike, our hearts are seriously aching but we will also be "the 4 of Us" ❤️

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Our Big Brother ........ (& Mum)

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My Big Brother ......

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My Big Brother ......

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"JUST GIVE ME 5 MINUTES" he would say .........

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LOVED A PARTY .........

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Dad & Daughter - he was so proud Pud!

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Right there in the middle ......

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BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES - will never be taken away

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I wish I could be in this moment here✨

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I'm not really sure how to begin writing this, so I am just going to write and see where it goes.

I have so many great memories with you. Some may not have seemed important at the time, but they were everything to me. Where to begin..? I remember living in Joburg and you asking me to get you beers. I got tired of walking down the stairs with your beers, so we designed a pulley system using a beer holder and some rope. I could then lower your beers down to you without having to go down the stairs or risk dropping them from the banister. We were so proud of our design. I remember when Chris would visit us in Joburg and we would play pool cricket together. I would have to stand about 30m behind whomever was batting, with my winter gloves on. My gloves would be ruined by the end of it but it was so much fun.

There is no way that I can explain how much it meant to me that you came to every single one of my sports matches. It didn't matter where it was, who we were playing, how badly I played, or what else was going on, you were always there with an Energade and a Bar One. I knew that I could always look up and see you there.

I loved that you made my friends feel like family. They loved you like a dad and often talked about wanting to go to Brad's place after a bender because Mike would either have Maccas burgers lined up for a late night snack or would 'fire up the skottle' in the morning to help ease the pain of the night before.

I loved that you would come and sit at the restaurant's bar every evening while I was working to talk to me every time I had a gap. I also loved that you had a 'special arrangement' with the bartender that involved large tips and extra large glasses or 'six for the price of two' private deals.

I loved how it took so little to make you happy. Plastic garden chairs squeezed onto the balcony, a shoddily made DIY TV cabinet, a braai set up in the kitchen (near the window). Pretending to support Westville when we played Kearsney.

I used to love our weekly Skype calls while I was living in Taiwan. It meant that I never felt that far away.  I wish you could have visited me in Taiwan, I think you would have really liked it... Qatar, maybe not so much... Thank you for always trying to do the best for me even when it meant you giving up something for yourself. I'm glad that the last time I saw you I told you how much I love you, and I'm sorry that I couldn't have seen you again since then.

You definitely taught me the meaning of hard work. I have never, and probably never will, meet anyone who worked as hard as you did. I loved that you were the eternal optimist even though that meant you would often spare me bad news. It used to take a hell of a lot of get you down. I remember you being so excited about closing deals that you would call with Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' blasting in the background. Even when the deals had mistakes in them, you could convince the clients that your measurements were actually right and it was their house that was skew.

I have always tried to make you proud. I feel like I did for the most part. I'm sorry for the times I fell short.

I love you very much Ballie. You will be with me always. I won't let you down.

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One of my Favourites..😍

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Where it all began ...... a beautiful boy from the start ❤️