Obituaries

Michael Wade Averett, 76, died October 18th after a short battle with glioblastoma. Born October 26, 1946, at Cape Girardeau, Mo., he was the son of the late Kenneth William and Gussie Westerfield Averett Sr. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving siblings and their spouses: Kenneth (Fannie) Averett, Jane (Bill) Flowers, and Larry Averett. Mike had four loves; fishing, family, the St. Louis Cardinals and Toro. As we reflect on his life, his positive impact on those around him has become more clear. The kind words that have been shared show what an amazing human Mike truly was. Described as the best, an amazing hugger, loyal, and a true man of integrity, his words always matched his actions.

Mike’s love for his wife Rene’ (nee Reid) deserves its own paragraph. It was one for the ages and everyone around them knew it. Their story began with Toro – a phone conversation as Rene’ operated the switchboard in Minneapolis while Mike was in sales in Chicago. When they met in person, it didn’t take long for them to decide they needed to be together forever and they wanted forever to start quickly. Their brief three month engagement caught the attention of their families and friends, but was just reflective of their true connection and unwavering love for one another. Forty-seven years, four homes, four kids, and six grandkids later, their legacy will live on.  As a father, Mike told his kids to choose their words wisely. That people who swear just can’t come up with anything more intelligent to say. While none of his kids took that to heart, they do all think about it every time a bad word comes out of their mouth. Mike can be seen in all four of his kids; Ken (Brenda Missele) Averett, Kristy (Eric) McKnight, Lexie (Jake) Rosborough and Joe (Kasey Chas) Averett. Ken has his dad’s patience, Kristy has Mike’s determination, Lexie has her dad’s compassion, and Joe has Mike’s perseverance.

Mike’s grandkids became his light. Addy, Addi, Cole, Peyton, Reid and Henry brought so much joy to Mike’s life. Teaching them how to fish, watching them play sports, making them malts, having “high five” competitions, and simply being around them brought him so many smiles and laughs. Mike’s love of Toro began when he was a salesman and continued when he became part owner of PMA Outdoor Equipment. Mike and his family lived for the weather report with summer rains and winter snows. He would still talk about the great winter snow of 1978. Owning PMA was his job, but Mike and his dear friend Pete created a workplace that was more reflective of friends and family than colleagues. Mike’s favorite ballplayer was Stan Musial, whose statue plaque reads “Here stands baseball’s perfect warrior, here stands baseball’s perfect knight.” Mike was our perfect warrior, our family’s perfect knight. He was a steadfast presence and an example of the best humanity has to offer.

Mike left a lasting impression as a brother-in-law, uncle, Godfather, and dear friend to many. We are all better for knowing and loving him. Mike’s family would like to thank all of the medical staff that cared for him during the last two months. This includes his neurology and neuro oncology teams at Rush University Medical Center and the hospice team at JourneyCare. Your true compassion and care for Mike, and all of us, will not be forgotten. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Fox Valley Food for Health https://fvffh.org/ or the Glioblastoma Foundation https://glioblastomafoundation.org/

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