-In Memory- John Michael
John Michael was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 28, 1949. The eldest of four children, John perpetually instigated and encouraged the youthful shenanigans of his siblings. Following the death of his youngest brother in 1960, the Michaels relocated to Ogden Dunes, Indiana, on the shores of Lake Michigan, to start anew. Here, John discovered a love for reptiles & amphibians, often bringing his new found “friends” into the family home, much to his mother’s chagrin. John’s father was always enamored with cars, and prior to the move had purchased a 1954 Studebaker Starliner which would ultimately become part of Michael Family lore.
Originally red with a black top, the car was painted white to mask some much needed body work. The car eventually became John’s, and he had the local high school shop class swap the problematic in-line six for a bigger V8 engine and better transmission. John painted the car yellow (his favorite color) and dyed the original red and gray interior a monotone black. John often drove his highschool sweetheart, Linda, around in the car, and knew she was a keeper when she would get out and push the car down the street so he could pop the clutch and circle back around the block to pick her up!
John and Linda married in 1970. The following year John graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Psychology, taking on casework and accepting odd jobs as a handyman. John’s father-in-law, who ran a funeral home and specialized in Restorative Arts, is credited with ultimately suggesting he look into Prosthetics. After a few hiccoughs, John was accepted into Northwestern University’s Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC) in Chicago, completing the Prosthetics program in 1976, and the Orthotics program in 1981. John also earned a Master’s in Technical Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign the same year.
By this time, John and Linda had settled in Oak Park, Illinois, where John worked for Scheck & Siress as a CPO while he and Linda started their family. They had two children; a son, David, and a daughter, Kathryn. John also served as Assistant Director of Prosthetics Education at Northwestern from 1978 -1981 before heading to North Shore Orthopedics in Highland Park, Illinois. As John’s family and skillset grew, so did his job opportunities.
The Michael Family relocated to Durham, North Carolina in 1985, where John became Director of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Duke University Medical Center. During his time at Duke, John discovered a passion for sharing Prosthetics and Orthotics knowledge with developing countries, was elected President of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) 1989-1990, and became a prolific writer and editor within the field.
By 1992 the Michael Family had again relocated, now to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, where John accepted a position as Director of Professional and Technical Services at Ottobock. Both Michael children attended and graduated High School in Minnesota, and were quickly college bound. David ultimately settled in Minnesota, while Kathryn returned to Chicago. As John’s children struck out on their own, he left Ottobock and began a private consulting business, CPO Services. Family always came first with John, and he and Linda moved back to Northwest Indiana in 2001 to care for their ailing parents.
In 2009 John was appointed Associate Director of NUPOC, where he helped manage the merging of NUPOC with NURERC (Northwestern University Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center) as they moved into a newly remodeled shared space. For John, unifying Education and Research on the road to rehabilitation was a deeply emotional and crowning achievement. John also worked to help establish Northwestern’s MPO-R Program (Master’s of Prosthetics & Orthotics - Research), a first of its kind.
Along the way, John’s daughter, Kathryn, purchased a two-flat in Chicago’s Edgewater Neighborhood. She and her family moved in upstairs, while John and Linda moved in on the main level. Being able to see one of their children and grandchildren on a daily basis was a true highlight of their return to Chicago. To better facilitate visiting David and his family in Minnesota, John bought a Tesla Model 3, which he swore was the best car he over owned as it combined his love of cars with his love of tech. The Studebaker remained in John’s heart, however, and he remained active in the Studebaker Drivers Club.
John retired from NUPOC in 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The mandated isolation led John to rediscover and indulge in dormant hobbies which included avid gardening, playing guitar and harmonica, and listening to Chicago Blues. Once social distancing requirements and mask mandates were lifted, John and Linda again made regular trips to visit David and his family in Minnesota.
On one such visit, John sustained a seemingly minor bump on the head. This was not unusual, but the severe headache that followed the next day was. John clearly needed medical help, an ambulance was called, and John was rushed to the nearest Level 1 Trauma Center where he underwent emergency surgery to alleviate pressure on his brain caused by a subdural hematoma. Although the procedure was a success, John ultimately succumbed to his injury and died peacefully surrounded by his family on July 25, 2024.
John was often recognized through his decades of service in Prosthetics and Orthotics, having been named “Outstanding Researcher”, “Distinguished Practitioner”, “Outstanding Clinician”, been recipient of the Titus-Ferguson Lifetime Achievement Award, and been a Fellow of ISPO (International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics). To John’s family, he was “Honey”, “Pop”, “Dad”, and “Grandpa”.
John loved the P&O profession and community, and it was his explicit wish that tributes be made in the form of donations to the O&P Foundation for Education and Research. Please consider giving in John’s memory.