Christen S. Michael

Christen (Chris) S. Michael, 64 of Elkhart, passed away on Friday, March 22, 2024. He was born on July 8, 1959 in Bryan, OH to the late Richard D. Michael and Linda R. (Stauffer) Sponseller. Chris was a former resident of Ney, OH and graduated from Fairview High School.

Chris is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jody; daughters, Katherine (Ryan) King, Sarah, and Elizabeth; sisters, Shelley (Ronnie) Gebhart, Angie (Scott) Hall, and Holly (Bill) Wendling; his father- and mother-in-law, Jerry and Judy Bartell; his childhood best friend, Mike Edwards; and many nieces and nephews.

Chris was a hard worker with an insatiable desire to learn.  After serving as a firefighter and EMT first responder for various fire departments through the years, he returned to school to obtain his bachelor’s degree in automated manufacturing specializing in electrical controls engineering. Chris traveled all over the country as an in-demand engineer, and enjoyed sharing stories of his travels with his family and friends.

He loved to camp and sit around a fire with his family, which included three dogs that had him wrapped around their paws. It made Chris happy to share his knowledge with his three beautiful daughters from fixing cars and teaching them electrical schematics, to learning about Ham radios and weather tracking, or relaxing and watching a favorite sci-fi show. He was so incredibly proud of each of them and they will treasure these memories to keep him close to their hearts.

Chris attended Granger Community Church where he had many friends and was involved in the men’s group.  

Visitation and a Celebration of Life service will take place on April 13, 2024, at Granger Community Church – Elkhart Campus, 2701 E Bristol St, Elkhart, IN 46514.  Visitation is from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM followed by the Celebration of Life at 1:00 PM. Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St. in Elkhart is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Michiana Amateur Radio Club, Inc, P.O. Box 6012 South Bend, IN 46660; Humane Society of Elkhart County, 54687 CR 19 Bristol, IN 46507; and Faith Mission of Elkhart Food Distribution Center, 801 Benham Ave, Elkhart, IN 46516.

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