Guestbook

If you have any stories about Mike, or you would like to share or any messages of encouragement to Chris, Marley or Avery, please post them here.

(Original notice)

33 Comments

Arlene Appelbaum (St. Paul, MN) said,

September 16, 2007 at 12:00 am

We are so deeply sorry for the tragic loss of your beloved Michael. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family, especially Chris, Marley, Avery and our dear Dinny and Frank. May Michael’s name be for a blessing.
Love, Murray and Arlene

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Susan Brady (FL) said,

September 16, 2007 at 12:01 am

My heart breaks for your family. I know Michael will be with you always…for it is death when we learn the true meaning of life. Another life well lived and loved. God Bless you all! Susan Brady

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Monica Brady (Minneapolis, MN) said,

September 16, 2007 at 12:02 am

Dear Christine:

I met you and Michael at your grandmothers 90th birthday.

I just wanted you to know that I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your husband.

I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Peace & Love
Monica Brady

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Bart Slawson (Birmingham, AL) said,

September 16, 2007 at 12:03 am

We are so sorry for your loss and ours. Mike was a good friend, a loving husband and an adoring daddy. He was overflowing with life. The world was better for him being here. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours always. God Bless. Bart, Georgia and Emily Slawson.

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Christina Rogstad (Auckland) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:01 am

Chris, Marley and Avery,
All of your family in New Zealand have you in their hearts and wish the distance was not so great.
We will think of all the good times, the lively debates and how much we know he loved you all.
Chris, Ross, Erin, Mark, Brittany and Cavell

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Melody Lake (AL) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:02 am

Chris, Marley and Avery,
All of the love in my heart goes out to you at this time of deep sorrow. I pray for your peace and comfort.
Melody

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Joe Jeruzal (St. Paul, MN) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:03 am

The Board and staff of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota wish to extend our heart-felt support at this time of sadness. Mike’s father, of St. Paul, has been a long-time Board member of the Council.

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Rose Segreto (Toronto, ON) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:04 am

Dear Christine:

It’s never easy to understand why a vibrant person at the peak of his life is taken from us – we share your loss and our prayers are with you and your family.

Christine, we have never met, but we feel that we know you. Dick and your wonderful mother told us so much about your family this past August when they visited with us in Toronto and we wanted to offer our deepest condolences on the loss of your husband and partner, Michael.

May God bless you and your children with his peace!

The Segreto’s:
Rose and Sebastian
Ann and Peter
Alba and Tony
Guy and Gina

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Andrew Joy (West St. Paul, MN) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:05 am

Words will not express properly how much Mikes spirit ment to Me, He was truly “one of a kind”! Our thoughts and prayers go with you. Andy, Holly and Mason.

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Paul Dickinson (St. Paul, MN) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:06 am

Dear Chris- I want you and everyone else to know how beloved Mike is here in St.Paul.
We grew up together and played Rock n Roll together. Mike was a fearless innovator in music, business and life. His endless energy and friendship made all of us want to follow our dreams

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Amy Voigt (Toledo, OH) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:07 am

My heart is aching for you Chris. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling. I hope you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I met Mike only a handful of times but even then you could see what an amazing partnership in life you two shared.
Much love Chris.

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Gail Goldberg (Kirkland, WA) said,

September 17, 2007 at 12:08 am

Although its been years since I saw Mike last, I remember well that his smile could light up the night, his laugh was contagious and he touched many people’s lives (animals too!) with his big heart.

Chris~ My heart breaks for you and your children. Please know you are in my thoughts and that I am sending love your way.

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Sami Serrag (Tripoli, AL) said,

September 18, 2007 at 12:01 am

Chris, Marley, and Avery,
I miss you all so much and my heart is sending you long distance love. I’m so sorry to hear the news. I really really liked Mike and he will be missed and celebrated by me always. I did some meditation for him and sent my love. I hope you are all holding up and know that your friends and family are available to you now and anytime in the future. May peace be upon Mike and upon you all. Love, Sami

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Mollie Miller Ziebart (West St. Paul, MN) said,

September 18, 2007 at 12:02 am

I’m so sorry to hear of your families loss. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. I haven’t seen Mike for years but hear about him and the family through Mike and Lynn(my aunt and uncle)
I’m so sorry for your loss and will continue to pray for you all.

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Ginger Wyatt (Birmingham, AL) said,

September 18, 2007 at 12:03 am

Chris,
I have admired your beautiful family since you came to the UU church. I grieve for you and your children.

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Kathe and Jim Neher (St Paul, MN) said,

September 18, 2007 at 12:04 am

To Michael’s family-We knew Michael from infancy and our families spent some good times together when Michael, Alex, Becky, and our Karl and Kati were all young children. My heart hurts for Michael, his wife and children, brother and his parents. May his free spirit and his joyful presence be lasting memories for you.

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Holly Rausch (Oconomowoc, WI) said,

September 19, 2007 at 12:00 am

Dear Mike and Lyne,
I can’t imagine your heartache at the loss of Michael. Please know that we are here for you and love you. You have our deepest sympathy.
Holly and Ray Rausch

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Joe and Erin Micallef (St. Paul, MN) said,

September 20, 2007 at 12:00 am

Christine, Marly and Avery,

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. We are thinking of you and your family.

Sincerely,

Erin and Joe Micallef

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Earl Martin (Culver City, CA) said,

September 21, 2007 at 12:01 am

Christine,
I don’t know if you remember me but I grew up with Mike in St. Paul. I’m so sorry for your loss. “Pickle”, as I knew him, was a great guy. I admired his free spirit and the world is going to miss out. My condolences to all his friends and family, especially his mom who was so good to me when I was a kid.

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Dan Simon (Minneapolis, MN) said,

September 21, 2007 at 12:02 am

From reading the other entries, I gather Mike remained as true to himself as he was when I knew him in high school. He always inspired me with his integrity, his willingness to do the right thing, regardless of whether it fit the norm. I’m so sorry to hear about your premature loss of him.

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Laurence Roberts (San Francisco, CA) said,

September 22, 2007 at 12:00 am

Dear Chris, Marley and Avery —
I knew Mike back in Minnesota through Paul D. and then ran into him in San Francisco when you were vacationing there, and saw him and you when I was visiting my brother in Birmingham a few years back. I am so sorry that this loss has happened, and I wish there was something I could do.

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gale and jack Keys (Cordova, AL) said,

September 24, 2007 at 12:01 am

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family for your loss of Michael.
Friends of Dick and Mary Segreto.

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Lynn Kaiser (Aliperto) (Oakdale, MN) said,

September 24, 2007 at 12:02 am

Chris,
I was shocked and saddened to hear of your loss. May your happy memories of Mike get you through difficult times.

The Kaiser family,
Chuck, Lynn, and Anna

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Meg Waites said,

September 28, 2007 at 7:12 am

Hey Chris,

The two things that always come to mind when I think about Michael are that he shared his drum with Ashley and he worked his ass off digging post holes for the pergola at Work/Play Day last year.

Lee and I think about y’all often. Let us know if there’s anything we can do. We’ve moved to Hayden, and I’m finding some of the only disadvantages to be lack of convenient shopping (unless you consider the gas station a grocery store), and distance from friends.

Lee is a contractor, and I know you guys bought and fixed houses, so if there’s anything he can help you with in that regard, just let us know.

Bigbig love and hugs to you and the kids.

Meg

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Sami Serrag said,

September 29, 2007 at 11:07 am

Some of my best memories of Mike were at his house. I would come over with Natalie(and in the beginning, Ashley) and while Marley and Natalie had a great time playing with Avery chasing them around, Mike and I would talk a lot about food, organic gardening, music, our kids and family, political issues, and spiritual issues. He was a great listener and also had strong convictions about his life and the world in general. In the South it was hard to find people who I agreed with about almost every subject, but he was one of the few I could almost always agree with. It was such a relief/joy to find him and become his friend.
He had an amazing garden out back and would spend a lot of time out there. I remember us hanging out out back while Marley, Natalie, and Avery would ride the tricycle down the short hill and we all were having such a nice time. Mike and Chris were a fantastic hosts to us and always made Natalie and I feel at home. It was great that Marley and Natalie’s birthdays’ were so close to each other so for several years we had a double birthday party and that was such a blast, with a lot of thanks to Mike and Chris’s hard work. He was a amazing cook as well and I always looked forward to his special vegetarian meals. YUMMM! His were some of the best I’ve ever had. I hope Chris can remember his recipes. Chris and Mike always seemed very happy together and would laugh and smile and we would eventually play some music together. Of course the girls would dance or play along. He loved music so much and we would listen to Reggea, in particular, but also other styles. He played piano as well as guitar and a whole assortment of other instruments. He sang at times and we had hoped to form a band together. It didn’t happen, but we did jam a few times and I enjoyed our sessions together a lot. He was a beautiful guy with a real sense of honesty and caring about him. He would speak passionately about politics and was very concerned (rightly so) about how Bush was allowing the US to drop the ball on leading the world into a more sustainable world. He did live what he preached and I admired him a lot for that. He also seemed to be very busy. Between being a wonderful Dad, husband, business owner, traveling film professional, being active in Redmont activities, he would still have time for his gardening and cooking. And I’m sure there was more than that in his schedule. Not a lazy guy and full of positive spirit. I’m sure he had his down time, but I never saw him sad or down(except about politics during the Bush Administration) and even then he had solutions. He had hope and he shared it with people around him. As Ashley and I split up, Mike and I lost touch a little and I hear he struck up a new friendship with Ashley’s new husband, Jeremy. I’m glad that Ashley and Jeremy were still bringing the families together as I know time spent with the Prichard’s was good for everyone. My time with him was pretty short, but I will never forget how great of a person he was and how he loved his family, his principles, and his hope for a sustainable world of justice. I was lucky to have had even a small amount of time with Mike Prichard.
Love,
Sami Serrag

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Amy McNamara (Brooklyn, NY) said,

October 3, 2007 at 12:01 am

Dear Chris, Marley, and Avery,
I’m so very sorry to hear of your loss.
I knew Mike in St. Paul. He was the source of a lot of joy and fun for me and our friends. His music and eye for art led us on many adventures. He was a lovely free spirit who always had a glint of mischief in his eye.
You and your family will be in my thoughts.
Amy (Kiel) McNamara

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Matt Klein (Madison, WI) said,

October 3, 2007 at 12:02 am

I grew up with Mike in St. Paul. He was over to my house alot as a kid and we were good buddies. We went through high school together playing violin in the orchestra. The world has lost a good man. My prayers are with your family.

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Megan Norris said,

October 3, 2007 at 12:41 pm

Hi, Chris:
I have been praying for you and your family, and I admire you for being so strong during such a difficult time. I enjoyed working with you at the Post-Herald and wish we could have had a chance to get to know each other better. I do remember walking by your desk and seeing all the photos you had hanging up of your husband and children and thinking what a happy and beautiful family you had. I hope you, Avery and Marley can find peace and comfort in the memories that you have of Mike. I will continue to pray for you, and I wish you all the best.

Megan Norris

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Arik Sokol said,

October 8, 2007 at 4:56 pm

Mike was always a pleasure to have on any set. He worked hard – there was never a need to worry about whatever area he was working on. He would solve problems on set that didnt even fall under his watch.

On the last shoot I worked on with him, he fixed the Vazda cart so we could roll our equipment into a hospital. Later, he produced a video cable that we needed even though he was working on audio that day.

He was a wonderful person – so good at what he did, and so nice to work with. I will always remember that “Eat More Pepper Jelly” shirt he’d wear to shoots.

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Margaret Hayes said,

October 12, 2007 at 10:51 am

Chris;
As am recalling memories of Mike, I realize that in all these years of us living in various & opposite ends of the country, our encounters were pitifully few. Other than some typically chaotic family gatherings in MN, these are a few of my favorite times spent with you & Mike:
That 1st thanksgiving in the Keys – it was pre Marley & Avery & it was so wonderful to have you & Mike join us @ Valhalla. Mike’s sister Becky joined us too. It was a nice laid-back weekend. & afforded us an opportunity to get to know Mike a bit better as he & his sister entertained us with family stories. I ran across a pic recently of you, Mike & Becky forking up the pumpkin pie after our seafood feast. It is difficult to believe that both of them are gone as is our son-in-law Dan who was also there that thanksgiving.
Another good memory was our weekend at the lake outside B’ham. My favorite picture of Mike & Marley was taken there while we were “yachting” – both of them with their hats & shades on. I remember Mike telling me about those ‘snake worshipping churches’ out in the sticks – & sure enough there they were!
I think my favorite time spent with Mike was the weekend he & Marley (about 2? at the time) came to Florida. They flew in on Fri night & Mike had to leave for Delray Beach early Sat. morning. When Marley woke up in that strange bed alone, she let out a soft plaintive cry for “Daddyeee”. I was able to console her, but her face just lit up when her daddy returned. I think I cherish that weekend as I had the two of them all to myself & got a real peek at the relationship he was forging with his little daughter. I really enjoyed his company & our good conversations.
One of the more chaotic, but great times we shared with you & Mike was when we all gathered in Kentucky. You, Mike, & the dogs pitched a tent. Although roughing it, Mike brought his special coffeemaker into the house each morning so he could have his GOOD coffee! He was a trip!
I am so grateful I got to see you all last August in MN. It really meant a lot to your Grandma that everyone showed up for her birthday party! Some of us commented that perhaps the next time we saw everyone together again it would probably be for a funeral; never thinking it would be one who was in the prime of his life that would be taken from us.
We tend think that we have forever to spend time with our family, tho I have been sharply reminded that we cannot take anything or anyone for granted, as we do not have all the time in the world.
Mikes enthusiasm, energy, zest for life were contagious. I feel fortunate to have known him & Buster & I will always remember him with great fondness.

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Fred Wagner said,

October 18, 2007 at 12:53 pm

Chris,
One of the funniest memories that we share in our family was the time that we met all of you at Taj India for lunch after church one sunday. When they saw all of us arriving, they smartly placed our family and yours back in the rear dining area of the restaurant. It was nice to have an area all to ourselves. It was a challenging meal for all of us, our children and yours more interested in playing than eating and also Avery was maybe 1.5 at the time and he was everywhere except at the table. Wells got the biggest kick out of Mike’s comment,” He’s running down the main dining hall”!! when Avery bolted out of the sitting area and ran down towards the buffet. Wells has repeated it often, imitating Mike’s voice and then bursts out laughing. He is one that surely can relate to not sitting still.
We really did enjoy that particular time that we all got together for lunch.
Fred, Mary, Wells and Mary Elisa

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Shannon Lusk said,

November 2, 2007 at 1:48 pm

Chris, I admire you for being so strong. Lot’s of Love…

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Mary Catherine said,

November 8, 2007 at 2:31 pm

I do craft services and arrange catering on film / video shoots. In doing that I get to meet the most interesting people and get to know everybody’s eating habits. I love food, I love people and their stories.

In my work I’ve had the opportunity to work with Michael P and talk – we talked about food, travel, living in Alabama, living in the West, family, hiking, ….

There will be a shoot this weekend where Michael P will be missed significantly. I enjoy feeding the vegetarians really good food & Michael P was always excited about yummy vegetarian fare. I will miss him this weekend as so many of the crew will miss him for his many talents and skills in the craft.

Chris’ blog is amazing & honest – bravo for sharing! Two of my cats died this summer and I know the feeling of losing your companion, your bedmate, housemate; but can’t comprehend your hollowness in the chest as you describe. I know my own emptiness from the loss of my cats. 🙂

Peace & happiness!

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