Michael David Massaro's Obituary
Michael Massaro. One could never find enough words to capture even a fraction of who he was or how he moved the world. You could say, "Brother, Father, Husband, Son, Friend, Angel" and it would all be true, but he was so much more than simple words can embody. Even in a smile, the infinite fire that was him burned past any definition. He lived stronger and he lived larger than life itself, and within one lifetime, Michael lived a thousand lives. He was, even in casual encounter, a force of nature; bending treetops to his will, moving mountains, and slowing the turn of the world at his whim. For those privileged to know him, Michael was a shining example of possibility rather than probability. He was a symbol for so many of how they could live. In situations where others might turn away in fear or apathy, Michael stood strong, and within his space, possibility came alive and we all became better when standing beside him. Indeed the world became a better place with his presence. Michael carried a profound respect and love for nature through his life. He reveled in nature's calculated proficiency and embraced her beautiful gifts. He never fought nature, rather accepted the impermanence of our forms and with a bold heart, welcomed the best and the worst the world might do. He did not fear what he was, did not fear death or sickness, instead, brazen through and through, he embraced both his corporeal and spiritual existence. He walked with kings and people of the street, and he was a king to many. His royalty was without question or reproach as he led, not just into battle, but into life as well, and he led with unshakable confidence and a power gained from perfect wisdom of self. Michael was strategist elite, moving the world as wisdom and intelligence dictated and even among friends, would place all where they needed to be. He was a warrior, who lived and died without fear, whose flag on high was one of honor and respect. He was a Cavalier of old, thrown into the modern day, demanding honor and respect above even life itself, and would have willingly died to embrace the values of highest integrity. Worldly possessions were never the focus of his life, rather, they were simply things amassed that he might give away in generosity. His charitable heart and willingness to give to others was a shining example of neighbor and brother among friend. Michael Massaro lived a thousand lives in one, and he loved. Michael's sons were the crowning achievements of his life and so proudly he would say, "Those are my boys." They were his torches which he bore through the darkness, holding them above all else. They are left behind, heirs to a legacy of old; Honor, Strength, Wisdom, Righteous fire and Gallant heart. His boys now carry the torches of who he was into the future, keeping his fire alive and burning. Through his blood and his flame they shall pass on his legacy so that the world will never forget that he has lived. He loved his wife without hesitation, without pause and with a fierce blaze, impenetrable by any other force. The love Michael shared with her was more pure and more powerful than all the waves moving the sands across the seas, and it will be written in the eternal scrolls of existence, that no more pure a love has reached across the earth. He was a perfect husband, and a perfect mate, never faltering in any duty and always rising above. Not a single morning dawned in his marriage when he did not gather flowers for his wife to wake her from her slumber. He defied death itself to stay by her side so that they might know more fully the divine truths of love and commitment in life. Michael never feared love; his heart was too bold and too grand for that. Michael was gentle and he was wild and he changed the world forever, and the world is forever changed going on without him. As he leaves this world, under the eclipsed moon, Michael takes pieces of us all with him and we all send those pieces of ourselves without hesitation, knowing there will be gaping holes left in their stead, but we send those pieces with him because he would have, without pause, done the same. We send those raw and precious pieces of ourselves with him because we seek to honor his memory, his reality and his life. Words cannot capture who Michael was or how he changed the world. He was both wonderful and terrible to behold. He could strike fear in the boldest, bravest heart and elicit love from the most forsaken. There is no doubt he was a great man. There is no pause in saying, "He Lived." There is no thing in the entire universe which can fill the void he leaves behind. His fire burned through existence, reshaping the landscape around him, leaving all in his path, changed forever. As we mourn his passing, let us also celebrate too, because that he should exist at all; such a phenomenal creature, such a wonderful man, is a beautifully bold and undeniably amazing gift. With every breath, he celebrated life and so should we, in honor of his memory. We shall all be left incomplete without him, and we shall all be changed forever for having known him. Michael's legacy is one of boldness and bravery and honor and respect, and all who knew him should strive to embrace more fully, those values which he showed us how to embody in life. Michael Massaro, Cavalier, Lover, Warrior, Man; We shall miss you.
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