Michael Allen Charles

It is with great sadness that we announce Michael “Mike” Charles’ unexpected departure from this earthly life on October 3, 2024, at the age of 33. Michael Allen Charles was born on April 17, 1991, to Guy Michael Charles, Sr & Felicia (née Bourgeois) Charles in New Orleans, LA. Michael was baptized into the Catholic faith at an early age at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Reserve, LA. Michael’s father served in the United States Navy and lived in different cities before his father retired and moved the family to Cibolo, TX.

After Michael graduated from Byron P. Steele High School in 2009, he went on to experience all that the world had to offer. He worked at a couple of places before landing his forever job at Southwest Airlines. For the past 12 years, Michael met and created memories with the most amazing group of people that quickly became his second family. His nieces and nephews were ecstatic when looking at the planes in the sky while shouting, “There goes Uncle Michael!” He was and will forever be their Honorary Pilot. Michael was a talented baseball player and had the honor of playing for Southwest’s softball team. He greatly enjoyed working for Southwest and made many strong and lasting friendships with a company that treated him like family.

Michael was highly active throughout his entire life, from childhood flag football, basketball and baseball to table tennis and softball. He was an avid sports fan but was especially entertained by his favorite teams, the New Orleans Saints & Pelicans. At a young age he discovered his appreciation for unique cuisines. He was a “foodie” who delighted in trying and sharing new recipes and restaurants. He would sometimes visit different cities and countries just to taste their famous cuisines.

Michael was a devoted father to his children and furr-babies. There wasn’t a time where you didn’t see Michael without MiMi and Biscuit. Although his time with Lola was short, you still witnessed the love that he had for his dogs and the love that they had for him. The kids were his entire world, Leiah and Jace gave him strength during the rough times and laughter and joy all the time. He was a father figure to Aleesa and DJ and treated them as though they were his own. From pulling pranks on each other to practicing football, Michael and DJ shared countless laughs and memories that will never be forgotten. Michael shared his love for food with 2 of his favorite girls, Aleesa and Leiah, by taking them to eat at different restaurants. He created the memories of an idealistic childhood where kids could just play and have fun. Aleesa and Leiah spent many days at random arcades and movie theatres; and countless nights watching old movies and listening to Michael play on his PS5 & PC.

Michael cherished his time and was intentional about the relationships he created with those he loved. He spent many nights on the phone playing video games with his nieces and nephews. He was a supportive brother and uncle. If he couldn’t attend your event he always asked, “where is the video?”. Michael was a shining example of how to put others first, a value that was central to his character.

In 2023, Michael met the love of his life, Keisha whom he adored. Michael often kept his feelings close to his chest, but he surprised everyone by publicly expressing his deep love for Keisha time after time. He carefully organized multiple gatherings with friends and family, including their marriage proposal where he shared heartfelt words that spoke to the depth of their bond. At each gathering, we witnessed the beauty of their love. Together they navigated through this world and became strength for one another; a strength that she epitomized by her love and courage through his last moments.

Michael was a private and quiet person, but also very caring and funny. His life was marked by his kindness, empathy and capacity to bring joy and humor to those around him. His departure leaves an unfillable void in many of our lives, but we find comfort in the memories and everlasting geniality that he shared with us all. Michael “Mike” Charles will forever reside in our hearts. As we grapple with the loss of his physical presence, we find solace in knowing that his spirit lives on through the benevolence he instilled in us.

Michael will be greatly missed by those that will cherish wonderful memories including his loving fiancé, Keisha Morales Rivera; parents, Guy Michael Sr. and Felicia; siblings, Shy (Brenton) Bolden and Guy Michael Jr. (Kristan) Charles; daughter Leiah and step-daughter Aleesa; son Jace and step-son DJ; grandmother, Lynette Charles; nieces, Amirah, Sanai, Aulani, and Arieya; and nephews, DeSean, Brayden, Zayne, Kyrie and Josiah. Along with a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and coworkers; and his pets, MiMi, Biscuit and Lola. Waiting for him at the Door to Heaven was his grandparents, Wallace and Shirley (Jacob) Bourgeois.

Family and friends are welcome to attend a celebration of life, which will be held at the Schertz Funeral Home on Friday, October 18, 2024, from 3-6 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a kidney foundation of your choice in honor of the cremation. Your donations will serve as a testament to Michael’s life, reflecting his impact on those who were privileged to have known him.

A special thank you to the Southwest Airlines staff for accepting Michael as part of your family. We are deeply grateful for everything that you have done to help us honor and celebrate Michael. Your goodwill has touched our hearts in ways that we cannot express.

A sincere thanks to Thomas, Mark, and Milissa for going above and beyond for Michael and our family. Your noble efforts made a significant impact before and during this time full of heartache. Your generosity and amiability have not gone unnoticed. It’s a rare quality to find someone who genuinely cares and invests their time and energy in others, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have you all in our corner.

We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the brave individual who stopped to help Keisha perform CPR during Michael’s time of need. Your quick action and willingness to assist in a moment of crisis exemplifies the true spirit of compassion and humanity. While we can never fully express our appreciation for your honorable actions, please know that your efforts brought comfort and hope during a difficult time. Thank you for being there when it mattered most; your humanitarianism will always be remembered.

To our angel walking on earth, Kristan, we are overwhelmed with appreciation by your selflessness in gifting Michael with one of your kidneys. The past 7 years have been a true testament to how God works through others. With your gift, he was able to experience things in life that many of us take for granted.

Michael prioritized finding joy in life and sharing it with others, the family asks that you do the same—go out and do something that brings you real joy and share it with those around you.