Memories of Michael Wittenstein

Friend: Without trying, he could make you laugh

I feel like I grew up with Mike. We worked together at a fast food place named McMichael’s. I believe he was just 16 when he started there. He dated one of the girls he met there, Cathy for over four years. We all hung out all the time and all became close friends. He was truly the funniest person I’ve ever known.

I have so many happy memories of Mike. Oh the parties! I have many “silly” pictures I did not share with his family although I gave his mom most of the pictures I had of Mike feeling she needed them more than me. I have a terrific black and white picture of he and his mom when I was in photography in college. He had such a wonderful relationship with her. He was always teasing her to death and she’d pretend to be really mad but you could see he made her laugh anyway!

Midnight movies, going the wrong way down Newbridge Road and getting a flat! Midnight bowling! Mini golf! Basketball at Cathy’s house! Trivial Pursuit till all hours of the night and he was so amazing.

He came upstate once to my husband's family house, that was unfinished, after an ice storm and we had to wait for heat from a homemade steel drum thing -- totally crazy, as we were at that age. The next morning my engine wouldn’t go and my hood had frozen shut. Luckily Bob’s aunt lived nearby and got our car going after the sun heated up the hood so we could get jumped. She invited us back to her house and Mike slid down her iced driveway like 50 yards into the woods doing a Freddy Flintstone foot shuffle that was so funny the rest of us couldn’t move we were laughing so hard and I nearly wet my pants.

Without even trying, he could make you laugh. He would always say in a kidding manner, “It’s the greatest person in the world's birthday coming up,” and it would be his! You know, he was right!

His memorial service was the most touching service I’m sure I’ll ever go to. Friends and family took turns reliving funny moments and his poor fiancée -- I don’t know how they all got through it. All of us McMichael people came and sat together. We all held hands, laughed, cried and prayed for our friend and his family. I felt such a strong presence of him there and after all this time I know he has the angels in stiches up in heaven.

None of us could ever forget him and will always keep him fondly in our hearts, till we meet again!

With Love,

Allison Ziminski, Bellmore