Michael F. Caron

Michael “Mike” Francis Caron, 67, passed away on Friday, April 22nd, 2016 in the comfort of his Carmel home. Michael was born January 14th, 1949 to William (Bill) and Marjorie (Marge) Caron in Greenville, Ohio. Michael, and mom and dad, moved to Indianapolis in (year), and 6 years later got a baby sister, Kathy. They spent the rest of their lives here. After graduating from Arlington High School in 1967, Michael went on to attend Purdue University in pursuit of a degree in electrical engineering. Being the kind of guy who liked to buck institutions, Michael took his check for college and ran for Florida just a year away from graduating. It took a few years of hitch hiking, odd jobs, and a lot of failed relationships before Mike found the love of his life, Betty Lou Burton. On May 25, 1985, after 10 years of living together, Michael and Betty finally made it legal (making her parents extremely happy) in a lovely outdoor ceremony surrounded by their closest friends and family. After coming through a near fatal experience, wherein Betty, almost died from a flu that attacked her heart; October 30th, 1988, Michael and Betty changed their lives for the better by bringing into the world Carl Andrew, their first son. Three years later, on September 26th, 1991, they doubled their number of children by bringing Bradley Alexander, their baby, into the world. Michael lovingly devoted the rest of his life supporting, providing, loving, and spoiling his family. Michael was the true “jack of all trades”. From his college years up until his final days, Michael was a wizard at fixing anything and everything. Thousands of hours, and curse words, went into fixing up houses, working on and building computers, and fixing every broken bike chain and video game system in the house. There was not a thing in the world he couldn't fix. Not only was he a fixer, but he was also an avid builder. In his Carmel basement are hundreds of pieces of wood, thousands of nails and screws, and millions of creative opportunities. Michael loved locking himself way in the basement for hours, sawing, nailing, and sanding random blocks of wood into masterpieces of craftsmanship. He built chairs, tables, aesthetic additions to the house, and whatever else his artful mind desired. It may seem like Michael was a real man's man, but he knew how to get in touch with his “feminine” side. Michael spent his little free time doing one of three things: tending his garden, making arts and crafts projects, or cooking/baking. Of all of these things, working in the kitchen was by far his favorite. He learned how to cook as an adolescent because he just couldn't stand the taste of his mother's cooking. From there, he sharpened his blade by working in college kitchens, hotels, was mentored by a German baker at St. Marys of the Woods, and by testing out new recipes on his favorite people. As a husband and father, Michael spoiled his family with 5-star meals that could feed 50. There's not a rib shack in America that makes better bbq ribs than Michael. Michael's greatest quality and virtue was his passion for volunteering and coaching. Before every baseball season, Michael would volunteer to make all of the local playing fields game-day ready. Once in season, Michael would spend the rest of his time coaching everything from baseball to bowling. Starting when they were only 5 years old, Michael coached his two sons in every sport they yearned to play. Through this desire to make his children great athletes, he wound up touching the lives of hundreds of local youths. He spared no expense, and gave each and every child all of the knowledge he knew and helped them to reach their fullest potential, both on and off the field. His love for his own children, and every other child he coached, shined blindingly through his “resting angry face” (this is my face) every time he stepped onto the field/alley. Michael was never happier than when he was living in nature with his wife and children. Every summer, he would take Betty, Carl, and Bradley on a camping trip in a small campground right outside Linton, Indiana. The routine was always the same: wake up, fish, go to Wal-Mart, relax, go to Stoll's Restaurant, fish, fire, sleep, repeat. The monotonous structure, coupled with the peacefulness of nature, never failed to produce an aura of love and happiness from Michael. Michael is survived by his wife Betty of 31 married 41 total years, his sons Carl and Bradley, and his sister Kathy. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Marjorie. Visitation will be held from 12pm-4pm on Thursday, April 28th, at Shirley Brothers Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at the same location immediately following the visitation hours. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. Thank you to all of the friends and family who have shown their support through this difficult time for the Caron Family.

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Michael F. Caron

January 14, 1949 - April 22, 2016