The Kristan family mourns the sudden loss of Michael Damian Patrick Kristan, who died in the early morning hours of July 14, 2023. The second of nine children, Michael was born on Oct. 11, 1942, in Wallingford, Conn., to Julius and Helen Chappo Kristan.
Michael graduated from Notre Dame High School in West Haven, Conn., and went on to St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Conn., from 1960 to 1962. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, N.Y., in 1964. Michael earned his master’s degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. in 1984. His children were excited to know that one of his professors was Christopher Reeve’s father — Superman’s dad was teaching their dad.
Though his desire was to help others, he decided the priesthood was not his path. He thus began his long career as a teacher when an opportunity opened up at his high school alma mater. He taught English and Latin and French at Notre Dame until his move to Maine in 1987. He began a nine-year tenure at Oxford Hills High School, where students fondly remember him as someone who made them think about the impact and feeling of words.
Michael’s empathic nature and need for a challenge eventually led him to a new career in HIV/AIDS care. He found his calling at the Horizon Program at Maine Medical in Augusta. This proved to be his true niche, combining his brilliant skills as a listener, problem-solver, and consoler to those whose lives were impacted by AIDS. Michael found this to be the most challenging, but also most rewarding work of his life.
Michael had a knack for grammar and language from an early age, and assumed the role of a language detective who dug deep to find a word’s history and usage. Over his eight decades of life, he accumulated a vast holding of reference sources that ranged from the elements of grammar to multiple dictionaries that spanned the world languages, extinct and extant. He wrote many notations in Latin.
Michael’s family, however, is the most fundamental theme of his 80 years. Michael met the love of his life, Linda Schutz, at a mixer in 1967. Their 55 years of marriage began on June 22, 1968, and they raised four children together: Christianmichael (Brynne), Ingrid (Mark), Marta (Odie), and Johann (Heather). Michael delighted in the addition of every precious grandchild (in birth order): Nia, Rowan, Liv, Julian, Gryffin, Zachary, Luke, Zarah, Augustus, and Zoey. They all adored Api’s silly stories, goofy faces, and impeccably written birthday cards that he crafted each year.
Michael loved the great state of Maine, and found it the right place to settle after stints of living in Connecticut and Mexico City. He fell in love with the sky and the geography of the vast state, but also the pragmatism and hardiness of Mainers. He and Linda lived in South Paris and Richmond, but eventually found their way to Alna.
Every morning Michael looked out at the sweep of yard and sky, and declared that this was such a beautiful place and he would never find anything as lovely as this spot again.
His family and friends wish there was more time with this special human who shared his love of poetry, his ear for language and opera, his talent for reading maps and mowing the lawn in intricate patterns, his ability to speak with and listen to anyone and everyone he met, his talent as a doodler extraordinaire and fabricator of fantastical stories, his obsession for eagles, and his gifts as a chicken and cat whisperer, but are incredibly grateful for the multitudinous hugs, laughs, and love Michael so abundantly shared throughout his life.
In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, Michael leaves behind seven siblings, including Noël Higgins, of Durham, Conn., Hilary Kline, of Harwich, Mass., Rita Cleary, of New Haven, Conn., Stephen Kristan, of Worcester, Mass., Kathleen Avery, of Wallingford, Conn., Christopher Kristan, of New Haven, Conn., and Paul Kristan, of Durham, Conn. He was predeceased by sister, Teresa Kristan, of Wallingford, Conn.
A memorial service for friends and family is planned for mid-August.
If you have a story or photo of Michael you would like to share with his family, please send a message to kristanmihaly@gmail.com.
