Michael Lawrence Rudzis

Michael Lawrence Rudzis was born in Camp Lejeune, NC on March 31, 1950, the oldest of five children, to Grace and Colonel Edwin Rudzis. Michael’s father was a U.S. Marine Corps Officer and Michael’s growing up years included moving from post to post. His first year of high school was in Annapolis, MD, while his father was an instructor at the Naval Academy. The following three years Michael attended and graduated from Carmel High School, in Carmel, CA. Here he participated in sports, including swimming and cross country, and wrote the sports column of the school paper which was also published in the Monterrey Peninsula Herald. In 1968, Michael entered West Point as a member of the class of 1972. There he participated in the Triathlon and German clubs and served as a Catholic acolyte all four years. He earned his Jump Wings as a cadet attending Airborne School. In addition, he attended Pathfinder and Ranger Schools, successfully completing both challenging courses. Michael graduated from West Point in 1972. After completing Infantry Officer Basic Course, he reported to the I-46th Infantry in Erlangen, Germany. Michael’s fluency in German, learned in high school and at West Point, served him well. Having completed his service, Michael was honorably discharged from the Army in 1977. Michael worked as a marketing representative and consultant in Milwaukee, WI. Later, he moved to Seattle taking work with Seattle First National Bank. Seafirst later merged with Bank of America where he commenced a 35-year career as a systems analyst and vice president. His co-workers enjoyed his sense of humor and generous spirit. Seattle is where Michael met his other half, Michele, and they married in 1985. Michael and Michele had four children and had a family life full of faith, friends, music, travels, and love for the outdoors. Michael was active in the church, singing in the choir, volunteering as a catechist, and often attended Mass daily, teaching faith by both word and example. In 2000, Michael was treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2002, following a recurrence, he received an autologous stem cell transplant. Michael’s love of family, will to live, sense of humor, and strong character kept him going. Much to his family’s sorrow, a non-Covid MRSA infection ended Michael’s life on March 19, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Michele, his mother, Grace (Rudzis) Glasgow, his four children: Nicholas [Annelise], Erika Yeager [Scott], Peter, and Martin, his four grandchildren: Adrian, Nadia, and Marcus Rudzis, Theodore Yeager, and another grandchild due in 2021, his four siblings: Susan Cradduck [Dave], Christopher, John [Cindi], Therese Rudzis [Steve]. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Due to the Covid restrictions, a funeral Mass attended by immediate family was held in March of 2020. Michael is interred at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery. A Requiem Mass will be held for Michael in October, 2021. Requiem Mass: 1:00 PM, Saturday, October 9, 2021 North American Martyrs Catholic Church 9924 232nd Street SW Edmonds, WA 98020