BajaNomad

mike humfreville has passed away

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Ken Cooke - 11-8-2006 at 10:50 PM

My respect to Mr. Humpreville's family and extended family. Mike was a very nice man that we will all miss. I briefly spoke with Mike at the end of the Pyramid Resorts book party on May 6th, 2006. He admired the row of Jeeps that arrived at this event...although, we did arrive late. We all benefitted greatly by knowing him.

-Ken

David K - 11-8-2006 at 11:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob H
David, that was great...... one of your photos was of Mike that I took in Feburary 2004 on the Matomi run....... Mike always came across so friendly and warm. Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos.
Bob H


Yes, thanks to you Bob for that photo and a couple others were taken by Bedman at my and M's events.

The one I took of Mike examining a piece of cholla (jumping cactus) at Las Flores after our Lost Mission Hunt (July 4, 2001) is one of my favorites... Each photo of Mike tells a story... As it should... Mike was the greatest story teller the Internet has been fortunate to have!




I remembered thinking that Mike (a JPL man) was thinking of how to improve a Mars lander when he was looking at the cholla.



[Edited on 11-11-2006 by David K]

4baja - 11-9-2006 at 07:17 AM

baja bernie, have you heard when mike will be laid to rest? we will be there soon and would like to attend. thanks

TMW - 11-9-2006 at 08:17 AM

Thanks DK for the pictures. I too met Mike at the matomi run, but got to know him better thru his writing. My condolences to Mary Ann and their sons and all their family. We only pass thru this lifetime once and what we do while here leaves a lasting impression. For some that impression will be cherished for ever. All who met him and the many that knew him will remember for ever.

God speed

4Baja

Baja Bernie - 11-9-2006 at 08:23 AM

I have just asked Dave to either post something or let me know what is going on. As soon as I hear I will let everybody know if that is the wish of Mary Ann.

I will ask that others not rush to contact Dave as he and Juanita have their hands full right now.

Porky Pig - 11-9-2006 at 08:41 AM

Mary Ann & family left yesterday for LA Bay to make arrangements for burial. The funeral home will transfer Mike to LA Bay today. Mary Ann plans to post burial and wake details

Mike the Man

Baja Bernie - 11-9-2006 at 09:52 AM

His words and deeds will be inscribed upon the hearts of his Nomad friends.

David A. - 11-9-2006 at 11:12 AM

Thank you for the update Porky Pig.:saint:

Dave and Yvonne

Diver - 11-9-2006 at 02:10 PM

Please let us know if someone that is going to LA Bay would be willing to bring flowers, food or whatever else may be needed, in our absence.
I am certain that any support we can show will be appreciated.
Thank you.

.

Steve in Oro Valley - 11-10-2006 at 10:59 AM

We are truly sad to hear of Mike's passing. What a jolt.

I always look for his stories when I come to the Nomad board.

A couple of years back, I especially liked the series describing the 1985 "Tempests of Summer" vacation homebuilding adventure with the whole family near LA Bay.

Best to Mary Ann and the family

Steve in Oro Valley

[Edited on 11-10-2006 by Steve in Oro Valley]

fishuntr - 11-10-2006 at 06:13 PM

Just read about this sad thing today. Our condolences Maryann and family. Mike was a man who not only lived his life to the fullest, he had the gift to describe it to us.
Here's to ya Mike.
Jimmy and Linda James

Skeet/Loreto - 11-11-2006 at 05:01 AM

It was an Honor to Know you. Your words of encourgement will never be forgotten.
God did indeed Bless You, for your words came from the Heart.

Rest In Peace.

Skeet/Loreto

Very Sad News

academicanarchist - 11-12-2006 at 07:18 AM

Sad news indeed. The best to his family.

Goodbye for now

sanfelipebob - 11-13-2006 at 07:00 AM

this is way to soon. God speed

tim40 - 11-13-2006 at 08:41 PM

Only met twice and I thank God I had the courage to share with him face to face how much I appreciated his writings and thoughts especially around his internal thinking process for his move to BLA. They were so raw, honest and complete.

Until our paths cross again Mike...... Tim

My two cents about a good man

Sharksbaja - 11-14-2006 at 01:01 AM

Damn sad!

dotman_d.jpg - 45kB

pappy - 11-14-2006 at 11:41 AM

i've been off the board here for a while.what a shock to hear this upon my return.though i never met him in person, i thoroughly enjoyed his stories and wisdom.go with god my friend....

alkijeff - 11-14-2006 at 12:21 PM

I haven't viewed this board in months, and was shocked to find this.
MaryAnn, we're sorry for your loss and are thinking of you. Mike was an exceptional person and will be greatly missed.
The Siffermans
Jeff, Doreen, and the kids Jon, Jackie, Kassy and Ray

bajaden - 11-16-2006 at 12:57 AM

First JR and now Mike. I think God had his hands full with JR and needed Mike. God's speed mi amigo. You will be missed, but not forgotten. Your words will live on, forever..............

lizard lips - 11-17-2006 at 08:22 AM

I only met him once in person but was right next to him when I read all his stories.

Thanks for your BIG heart Mike..............

Lunch with Mike

The Gull - 11-21-2006 at 08:22 AM

I had lunch with Mike the day he heard that the new BOLA house sale was closed. He was chocked full of spirit and energy in anticipation of leaving JPL and living his dream.

Best memory one can have of a BajaNomad.

Santiago - 11-28-2006 at 11:48 PM

Lest we forget: From time-to-time I will post one of Mike's stories that have hit a nerve or someone else has mentioned to me. This one he named "Bredan's Story"....enjoy

They were camped at Camp Gecko for two weeks. The man and his wife and two grown boys; a family friend and her son, Brendan, 8. The heat was intense, well over the hundred degree mark daily, the sun pounding the sand more fiercely than the surf. They were sitting in front of their palapa near the beach. A flock of cawking gulls and a number of brown pelicans stood along the shore, facing into the breeze. A set of four Oystercatchers, bright beaks against dark bodies, settled with the other birds. They stood aside, didn't mingle with the others, rather kept within their own band. The boy pointed out the four birds to the group. The man picked up a camera; he had never seen Oystercatchers in the Bahia de Los Angeles before. "Come on Brendan." he said to the boy.

They moved toward the birds, some thirty yards distant. The man moved behind a beached boat to avoid frightening the birds. He and Brendan ducked low and as they emerged from behind the boat, then dropped to the sand on their bellies. The birds saw them crawling forward but were unthreatened. The pair inched forward toward the Oystercatchers, forcing themselves forward through the sand with their elbows, knees and feet, moving ever so slowly. The birds were now twenty feet in front of them. The man indicated to Brendan that they should not make a sound. The boy signaled back the sign he would use when he wanted to borrow the man's camera to take a picture.

It took them 10 silent and slow minutes to crawl forward to a position where they were both about six feet from the birds. The man took several pictures. The boy tapped the man's leg when he was ready and received the camera silently, took several pictures himself. The birds were curious about the event, but didn't seem to mind the proximity of the two quiet humans in their presence. Then they lost interest and merged with the other birds, a few yards away. Brendan and the man stood and returned to their camp and families. "That was fun!" he said. "That was teamwork." the man replied.

Later that day the man took the boy out in his boat, a small tin fourteen-footer with an outboard. The boy wanted to fish. They went to a place a few miles out, between the north point of Piojo and the south point of Smith's and dropped baited jigs into the hundred foot depths. The man showed the boy how to let the line out until the lure hit bottom, bring it in a bit to keep it off the rocks and then wait. Within seconds the boy had a hookup. The man guided the boy's retrieval and Brendan soon had a four-pound jawfish nearing the surface.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Bring the line over to me." the man said. "Don't reel the line in too tight. Leave me some slack." He pulled the fish aboard, unhooked it, held it up for the boy to admire, then tossed it to the rear of the boat.

"Teamwork." the man said.

They fished another hour, the man and the boy. Brendan caught six or eight more jawfish, two cabrillas and a trigger, was tired from reeling them in, his small hands struggling to turn the spool, his arms rubbing against his life jacket, the sun wearing the boy down.

"Let me know if you need help." the man said. The boy continued, tired but unwilling to relinquish the rod.

"I think I can do it," he said.

"Just remember we're a team. I'm here to help if you need me."

So Brendan brought in all his own fish, and several the man had hooked. When they fired up and headed back to camp the man saw a shine in the boys' eyes that he recognized as pride. The boy had accomplished a small unimaginable feat.

They arrived at camp and threw the fish on the sand, carted them up to the cleaning table, protected from the sun with a small thatched cover. The table was tall, designed to fit the height of a man standing. The man placed the fish on the table, found his filet knife, noticed that the boy was not able to see the working platform.

"Stand here, Brendan." the man said, pointing to an old fuel tank positioned beside the table. The boy climbed onto the tank and was now level with the man. The man filleted the first fish, began the second.

"What's my job?" the boy asked, "we're a team, aren't we?"

The mans knife paused only briefly as he absorbed, recognized the boys desire to support his efforts, to be a member amidst others. It was an overwhelming moment for the man, but he showed little, wanting the boy to be proud of his own action rather than to have made another happy.

"Feel like getting dirty?" the man asked.

"What do I do?" Brendan replied.

"Here," the man pointed to the building pile of guts, lying beside the soft flesh of the fish, "Give these to the birds."

The boy tentatively picked up a liver with two nervous fingers, stepped off the tank on which he had been standing, and walked toward the building attack of seagulls and pelicans along the shore. He threw the liver into their midst and a great feathered flurry commenced that built as Brendan retrieved and threw fishguts to the growing throng of birds. By the time the last gut hit the beach, the boy's hands, arms and legs were covered in blood. He had no care except for the activity at hand.

The man and the boy washed and bagged the fish, cleaned the table, sheaved the knife, and carted the bags to icechests for dinner later that day.

"Thanks for taking me fishing." the boy said.

"My pleasure." the man responded with no further words.

What good were words at a moment like that? he wondered. His heart felt the warm moments with the boy, pulled thoughts of his own children forward for perhaps a final time, from so long back over a twisted trail of years to the times when he had carried his boys forward through another adventure, had shown them something new, unexpected; when they had piloted the boat for the first time, caught their first fish, found their way home from miles out in the gulf in rough weather.

We are a team, he thought. He walked down to the shoreline, threw water on his face, walked back into camp. "Here, honey." his wife called, tossing him a towel to dry his face. She knew his was a clever ruse to camouflage the fact that tears had dampened his eyes. Thanks for the memories, Brendan, the man thought, to himself, it truly was his pleasure.




And thank you, Mike, for my own memories.

David K - 11-29-2006 at 12:28 AM

Brendan at BBBB-4... Maybe the time he met Mike (9-2002)?



Thanks for posting one of Mike's finest stories Jim!

Skipjack Joe - 11-29-2006 at 03:26 PM

Thank you for posting that Santiago. I agree, that was one of Mike's best. A bit sentimental at the very end but I think that's the way Mike saw things in general. I like that the story is understated. That's how men and boys, I am discovering, relate to one another.

synch - 12-11-2006 at 09:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Paulina
Our family is very sorry to hear this being confirmed. Very sad indeed. Mike will be missed, "terribly" says our daughter Cody.
Mary Ann, you and the boys are in our hearts and prayers. If there's anything we can do for you, let us know.

Paulina y Dern y Cody



Great photo.

burritomama - 12-17-2006 at 10:53 AM

I've been off the board for months dealing with life as we know it here in So Cal (much personal sadness this year in our family) - just checked in before we packed up to go to BOLA for Christmas and found this sad news.

We met Mike a couple years ago at the urging of our friend Marla and admired his spirit however briefly in Baja (a chunk of one afternoon) - and, of course, at more length on this board.

Condolences to the family.

Lindalou - 12-17-2006 at 12:20 PM

Have not been able to get to this board for several months. I am so sad, and shocked to here this sad, sad news. My thoughts are with his family during this vary hard time for them. I will miss his writhings on the board, I always looked for them.

marla - 12-18-2006 at 10:33 AM

I haven't been on the board for awhile, so Burritomama just alerted me to this news. I am sad that the world has lost such a unique man but it is richer for his presence here as long as he was alive. I am very glad I had the chance to meet him and experience his kindness and hear his many fascinating stories about Baja. I guess I always figured since he drove like a maniac that the Baja Highway would take him out someday, but I'm glad he did not have to suffer a lingering illness. I will drive a cerveza tonight in his honor and I'm sorry I was too late for any other memorial.

David K - 12-20-2006 at 10:32 AM

Marla, I remember you were so very kind to Mike in the time you took to read his original manuscript and offer suggetions to improve his future book. I know that Mike really appreciated the time you took and respected your advice as a journalist.

I hope you and your children have a wonderful and merry Christmas... Tell them 'Uncle Baja' says hello... I hope to see them and you again soon!

David K - 1-18-2007 at 08:54 PM

Stand by for a message from Mary Ann Humfreville that she has asked me to post...

I stopped on my way south this year and bought Mike's book.

vgabndo - 1-18-2007 at 10:44 PM

Once we had arrived at our little hut in the palms near the sea and I had come to expect the owls at night and the burro's bray, and my bed was in fact my bed, I spent several facinated nights getting to know Mike, May Ann and the kids as they grew up together during their time near the volcano. What a neat guy. I'm sorry we lost him too soon, but what a pleasure to know his satisfaction in his family and that he wrote so much to share with us.

After reading his book, two truisms have been added to my subjective intrepretation of Baja. A general concept that "nothing goes to waste in Baja", and somewhat tied to that, the idea that only a wild creature at some disadvantage will allow close contact with humans.

When I took the picture below, and every time I've looked at it since, I've thought of Mike and thought that had he been there we'd have seen the gull's damaged wing and had a silent understanding.

[Edited on 1-19-2007 by vgabndo]

yellow tail w john 009.jpg - 46kB

Perry

Baja Bernie - 1-19-2007 at 09:12 AM

Absolutely beautiful tribute! The picture does say it all.

From Mary Ann Humfreville...

David K - 1-19-2007 at 05:13 PM

Kevin, Mike and Mary Ann would like you to join them in celebrating Michael's life. As you know, he passed away on 11/5/06 in his beloved Baja and was buried in the Bahia de Los Angeles cemetary.

We all know what a great storyteller Michael was. Now it's your turn to come forward and share your stories, anecdotes and pictures.

This great gathering of amigos will be held on Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. at Barsam and Marlene Diradoorian's home at 438 W. Kenneth Road, Glendale, CA 91202. Please R.S.V.P. Mary Ann at mahumfreville@hotmail.com with the number of people coming. We hope to see Nomad's represented well.

Humfreville Glendale-r.GIF - 28kB

marla - 2-9-2007 at 07:38 PM

Well now I might have to work tomorrow and might not be able to come, if not I will be there in spirit!

Neal Cox - 2-19-2007 at 01:00 PM

Have not logged in for a couple of years. So sorry to hear about Mike Humfreville. I alway enjoyed his posts. Never met him, but did exchange an email or two. Peace be with you, Mike. Neal
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