On behalf of Aikido of Red Bank, I want to say how deeply sorry we are for your/our loss. Michael was a very talented and devoted Aikido practitioner. We are indebted to his carpentry expertise during our dojo buildout. He will be sorely missed.

To Michael’s family and friends I am so very sorry for your loss. I knew Michael through Aikido and found him to be a kind and welcoming exercise partner. His presence made this world a better place. Til Dallavalle

My condolences to Michael's family for such an indescribably sad loss. I have been friends with Michael through aikido for many years. To me he is forever a warm, smart, perceptive and compassionate person. His kindness and fine nature touched everyone and is a loss to us all. Lynne Crystal

Im a freind of Michaels through aikido for almost 20 years.
Michael was top 5, one of the sweetest and nicest people I have ever met and always the first to help when asked.
We will truly miss a great man and an honest individual.

So shocked to here of this sad news. You were such a great friend growing up with. I’ll never forget our first band... “Oblivion” forever. Phil Buldo

Dear Michael,
You are a wonderful person, smart ,funny, and a joy to be around. When I heard about this while saddened the only memories that came up was all these wonderful stories and adventures we had, infact some of my best memories is hanging out with you. The more I thought about those times the more it hurts me inside. I am sorry people grow old, and apart at times I dont know what happened to get to this point ,but you are a great person I should told that more offen.I really cant even see through my tears right now I am sorry buddy . The first time we met at my friends party ... I love this story ... well Mike wanted to tgo the store and get cigarettes and we didnt know that area so good so he wanted someone to go with him so I went and of course we got lost.this was back when he had the grey trans am , so we are driving around for a while talking about things ,life. By the time we got back we were friends .
On that ride while we were lost I said maybe we should turn back but Michael said " when I'm lost I just go straight eventually I run into an area I know then I can find my way home."
That is something that I used for years and it worked all the time and now itoday rings in my ears like I can hear his voice.
Have peace Micheal

Love Mark

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Famous Death Poem
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) uses symbolism and strong imagery in this poem to show a person’s response to loss. It doesn’t matter how strong or tough you are; when an influential person in your life passes away, you feel the effects. Although this poem does show that we experience regrets with things left unsaid, our lives are made better by that person's influence. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on Maya Angelou’s birthday (April 4) in 1968, and his death deeply affected her. In fact, she stopped celebrating her own birthday for many years.
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It wasn't until I lost my son recently that I can understand this poem. My son's life and his untimely death has forever altered my soul and my existence. I always considered myself a...

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When Great Trees Fall
Maya Angelou By Maya Angelou
More Maya Angelou
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

I will miss you more than you will ever know.
My life will not be the same without my dearest friend.
I love you, and will see you soon.
Keep on rocking in the free world
Joe Terzi

Mike, I will love you and will miss you in ways I can't explain. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you at the end. I feel horrible. You were a really good friend to me. You'll never be forgotten. Have a good time in heaven. I'll see you when I get there. Michael Cartwright