A large and disparate web of friendship trembled last week at
the loss of Mike Mathiasen, five days into his cross-country
bicycle journey which had been widely chronicled in this
newspaper.
A large and disparate web of friendship trembled last week at the loss of Mike Mathiasen, five days into his cross-country bicycle journey which had been widely chronicled in this newspaper.
The purpose of the bike ride, raising awareness of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is typical of Mike: serving someone else. Mike’s generosity with his time, resources, and love runs counter to our bottom-line culture. That’s what drew people to him.
Professionally, Mike served what Christian Scripture calls the “least among you” – juvenile offenders. He gave these throw-away children love, respect, and buoyant, eternal optimism. He believed each of them could be a model citizen. When they fell short, he looked for yet another way to ignite the spark of goodness he was sure each of them carried deep inside. When society and even their own families threw these kids away, Mike and his wife Kathy took them in. There’s no tally of the number of sparks he ignited, but those kids he helped who are now living right are testimony to the transforming power of love. They are Mike’s legacy.
Personally, Mike served each friend by sharing his time and broad range of talents. A friend could call or stop by with a bike problem, a kid problem, any “how-to” question or just a hunger for conversation; Mike would listen and offer to help.
Many knew and loved Mike, and there’s a reason so many of those want to share stories about him. He was a rarity – certainly even more rare in our busy times. A man of tremendous integrity, honor and generosity, Mike was the kind of person you love to have for a friend, the kind of person we all strive to be. Just as Dick Nicholls’ death ripped a hole in the network of public service around here, so Mike Mathiasen’s death ripped a hole in the network of human service and truly good living.
Many who ride the train back and forth will long remember the lean, laughing man on the bike, racing the train down Monterey Road – Mike Mathiasen, the real deal.
