Obituary of Michael Faris

Michael K. Faris, father, husband, grandfather, son, brother and friend died on November 21, 2010 just shy of his 64th birthday. Born on December 10, 1946, in Kansas City, Missouri, he grew up in Phoenix after his family moved there when he was eight years old. He enlisted in the United States Air Force when he was 17 years old and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base and Ajo Radar Station during the Vietnam Era. After his service to his country, he attended Arizona State University and Phoenix College. He married his former wife of 33 years, Karan, on May 31, 1975 in Lebanon, MO. His first daughter, Kara Suzanne, was born on February 14, 1978. They then added to their family with another daughter, Kori Danielle, who was born on October 14, 1980. He also had two stepdaughters, Dana Michelle and Angela Lynne. He returned to his home state of Arizona in 1981 and remained there for the rest of his life. He was a sober and proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 34 years and called his treasured friends of Bill W. his “AA family”. He worked as a manager in the automotive repair industry for many years and was always the one that everyone in his family called for car questions. Later in life, he worked as a real estate agent. He was a great talker, which made him great at selling anything to anyone, including some of his far-fetched stories! Always ready with a joke or story, his family and friends will always remember how quick-witted and sarcastic his sense of humor was and he will truly leave a legacy of laughter for years to come. He loved to play cards and was always ready for any type of game ranging from a poker tournament to a hand of gin rummy with his family. He could also often be found sitting at a poker machine, his Diet Coke at his side and a cigarette in his hand. There was never a NASCAR or sprint car race that he missed and was a regular fixture at Tucson Raceway Park. Until recent years, golfing was another of his favorite ways to spend a Sunday (or a Wednesday…or a Monday...or any day, really!). He was an animal lover and for years his neighbors could find him walking his beloved dog, Puppy, stopping for a chat along the way. He loved his family, especially “his girls”, and was proud to become a grandpa in 2000 with the birth of his first grandchild, Jakob Michael. Then followed by Emma Rochelle in 2004, Natalie Danielle in 2006, and Noah Joseph in 2008. He also enjoyed his relationship with his two son-in-laws, Michael and Nathan. His daughter, Kara, her husband Michael and their two children currently live in Omaha, Nebraska. His daughter, Kori, lives in San Angelo, Texas with her husband, Nathan, and their two children. He is preceded in death by his father, C.R. “Bud” Faris, his mother, Aletha Ferne Faris, and his sister, Gara Rochelle Kelso. His daughters, family and friends will always have a special place in their hearts for Michael. He was a man who lived life on his own terms, laughing most of the way, giving out advice to anyone who needed it. We will always picture him in “his” heaven, playing a poker game that he always wins, playing nine holes that he always birdies, watching a race that never ends, and watching over us. We love you, Daddy.