Michel Piaget – April 9th, 2010

May the snow be deep, the skies blue, the wine chilled and the chocolate and cheese plentiful and Suisse…you opened the door to Feydey and I will always be grateful and hold you close to my heart…a tout a l’heure patron, a tout a l’heure…

I shared many a glass, etc with Michel in Leysin, Nyon and when he visited me in New York in the eighties. Very sad news, and he will be greatly missed

I had the privilege of doing Michels eulogy at the leysin service. this is what was said : I want to start by saying that I know we all have a “michel” story. What I am about to read to you is a reflection from 30 years of observations, par-takings, and experiences shared with michel. Please look for the similarities rather than the differences.

Michel was certainly not your typical swiss guy… and at certain periods in his life ( when I met him in the late 70’s early 80’s ) wasn’t a typical member of planet earth. Mike was definitely his own man in that he lived the moment very intensely and very much to his image of purpose and coolness. Mike was cool. He was the first man I knew to wear eye liner have a pierced ear and walk like his pants were on fire, ski like a pro and work for an international company while dressing like a …. I want to say punk businessman but he was ahead of his time for that. Black or red leather pants and scarves… the stones and bowie period. Makeup and eyeliner… the lou reed and iggy pop period, and then came the clash period , thin ties and stove pipe pants. I met Michel at The vag. For a time, this was his home away from home, and the disco floor was his kingdom. Ah yes Mike could certainly hold court with a great many lady followers. He was just so damn interesting. He traveled, he went to and organized concerts and ski events, he experimented, and he was always up for a party…even if it was in Paris, Berlin or london. “Let’s go” he’d say and even at 2.49 in the morning …mean it!

Mike was incredibly organized. He was the poster boy for efficiency and as a professional in a very demanding business such as express logitics he was tremendously appreciated for that fact. I was able to learn quite a few things from him from my time at fed ex . Michel was always working for someone interesting. He was always busy and looked it as well. He had so much energy. He was totally consumed by sports (tennis, soccer, formula 1 racing, ski-ing), and world events… as well as music. His travels and general interests along with his activities, I believe, gave him an attitude of “ can do” , and mixed in with that, the international feeling of Leysin , increased his open mindedness. Mike was after all married to an American, an African, and a Thai. Very open minded indeed. And also full of love. Later in life : His latest and greatest passion was of course his son alexandar. But diving was his freedom from a world full of complications. Diving was his release… Mike didn’t suffer fools easily. He had no patience for slow-witted people and was quite demanding of his friends. He could be very opinionated and stubborn at times. But not without substantiating his view or listening to your side of an issue as well.

He also would give you the shirt of his back, and the socks of his feet and be the first to come and help you when it mattered most. From the rust never sleeps album ( and a favorite artist of mikes) Neil Young sings… hey hey , my my… rock and roll will never die. There’s more to the picture than meets the eye. Hey hey , my my… Mike is gone but will never be forgotten.

Leysin PK April 14.2010