Michael J Baron was born July 9, 1953 and passed away August 10, 2022.
Mike was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and was the first child of Jim and Helen Baron. He attended St Bernadette elementary school, Archbishop O’Hara high school, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. After high school Mike served four years in the United States Army and left as an Artillery Fire Direction Center Section Chief for the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks Hawaii.
After college, his first job was as a private pilot in the corporate sector in Wichita Falls, Texas and then in Houston, Texas. In 1993, he became a commercial pilot for Midway Airlines in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina. Following his time with Midway, he moved to the Orlando area where he resumed his career in corporate aviation with Anheuser Busch and Harley Davidson. In 2005 Mike found his home at Flight Safety International in Orlando Florida. He worked there for the past 17 years.
He loved to watch and photograph space shuttle launches, no matter the time of day or night. His favorite hobby was running marathons, and he made many lifelong friends throughout his running career. He was an active member of the Roadkillers running club and ran the Boston Marathon and the Disney World Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, several times.
He loved sports cars, especially his Camaro and the Corvette – his newest toy. Mike always had a cat – Shawn, Gabe, Bandit, and Nikki, which he would come to spoil in turn. He also became an avid traveler, pursuing adventures in Iceland, Switzerland, Machu Pichu, Australia, New Zealand, the Canadian Rockies, Hawaii, Colorado and most other states in the U.S. Mike is survived by his sisters – Paula Baron, Sue Goergen and Christi Baron, his dear friends Susie Scott, Tracy Anderson and Diana Lowe, and lifelong friends Joe Abell, Ed Lueckenhoff, and Phil Ward.
In lieu of flowers, Mike’s family and friends would greatly appreciate contributions to your local Cat Rescue nonprofit organization, American Heart Association, or Water.org (providing clean water to impoverished countries).
A Memorial Service for Michael at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel, 5000 County Rd. 46A, Sanford, FL 32771, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
A prayer service for Michael will be held Monday, August 22, 2022 from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel, 5000 County Rd. 46A, Sanford, FL 32771.
An inurnment will be held in Kansas City, MO on September 10, 2022.