Michael Paul Kowalski

Michael Kowalski passed away unexpectedly in McKinney, TX, on June 20^th, 2023.

He was born January 31^st, 1965, in Marysville, CA, to Linda and Raymond Kowalski. He had two older sisters, Ann and Raissa. The family moved frequently due to Raymond’s career in the Air Force and portions of Mike’s childhood were spent living in Spain, Pennsylvania, and Florida before settling in Slidell, LA.

Mike joined the Marine Corps in 1984 and after boot camp in San Diego, CA, attended Naval Aircrew Candidate School in Pensacola, FL. Upon graduation he became a crew chief on the Sikorsky CH-53 A/D “Sea Stallion” model helicopter and received orders to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, NC, where he served with Marine Helicopter Training Squadron (HMT)-204, Second Marine Aircraft Wing. Following a three-year tour at New River he was assigned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Grand Prairie, TX, for duty with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH)-772, Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing. During Operation Desert Storm, he was deployed with HMH-772 to Okinawa, Japan, and onward to Pusan, Korea, where he was assigned to a helicopter rework facility test-flying repaired Sea Stallions. Mike completed his enlistment in 1992 and relocated to Chicago, where his technical skills in troubleshooting potential mechanical issues with helicopters led to the beginning of his career in computing.

In 1997, he and his wife and children moved to the Kansas City area, where he was employed with Ruskin Louvers and Dampers as a computer technician and then as a member of the company’s networking team as technology advanced. Ruskin then moved him to one of its subsidiaries in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in 2007. In 2009, Mike took on a new role with Oncor Electric Delivery as the Manager of End User Computing at its location on Woodall Rogers Freeway in Dallas, a job that he was devoted to. Mike looked forward to going to work every day and cherished the relationships he built with Oncor employees, both in the Dallas office and overseas. His encyclopedic knowledge of computers, networks, and peripherals was spectacular, and he could often be found outside of work helping friends and family members with their computer issues.

First and foremost, Mike was a family man who had a close relationship with his sisters, whom he loved. He was a wonderful father who adored all of his children and was incredibly proud of them and their accomplishments. He also enjoyed (not in any particular order) rock’n’roll, riding a motorcycle, spending a day at the gun range, movies, going to Starbucks on Saturday mornings, fishing, babysitting his “grand-dogs,” a funny joke, and good food. He will be remembered for many things, but his excellent sense of humor and his kindness to all will surely be near the top of the list of anyone fortunate enough to have known him.

Mike was very involved with his church, St. Stephen’s Anglican Catholic, in Lucas, TX. A steadfast member of the parish since 2008, Mike was a dedicated altar server and lay reader, had served on the vestry, and enjoyed belonging to the church’s A-Men Club.

He was predeceased by his parents and is survived by his sisters, Ann Carruth and Raissa Kowalski; his wife, Anne Kowalski; stepdaughter, Jennifer Larson and son-in-law Matt Michaelson; daughter, Katherine Kowalski; and son, Evan Kowalski.

In lieu of flowers, Mike would have appreciated donations to St. Stephen’s Anglican Catholic Church (ststephensacc.com) or to one of his other favorite places to hang out, Operation Kindness (operationkindness.org).