It is with great sadness that the family of Michael James Sepich announces his passing on Thursday, September 10, 2020, after an extended illness. Michael was born June 23, 1940 to Frank and Mary Ann (Jellicoe) Sepich in the small coal mining camp of Gardiner, NM near Raton.
Surviving Michael are his wife, Karen; his son, Peter; daughters, Teresa (Wes) Nichols, Elizabeth (Preston) Morphew; step-sons, Jeff (Diana Bennett) Frank and Denton (Christa) Doty; brother, Dave (Jayann) Sepich; sisters, Kathleen Phillips and Phyllis (Chuck) McEndree; numerous grandchildren; great grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
Michael was the son of a coal miner and grandson of Croatian immigrants who came to the U.S in the early 1900s. He lived in the coal camps of Gardiner and Brilliant, NM before moving to Reliance, WY in 1944, where his father worked in the Union Pacific coal mine. His family returned to his beloved New Mexico in 1952, and he graduated from Raton High School in 1958.
Michael’s career as an electronics engineer began when he was 12 years old when he built his first crystal radio receiver. While attending high school he opened his own Radio/TV repair shop and worked for ARF Products, Inc. as an electronics technician. He attended NM State University after graduating from high school and was then drafted into the Air Force in 1961, where he served four years as a missile technician at Eglin Air Force Base. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Chicago Industrial Institute, University of Chicago. After leaving the Air Force he returned to ARF Products and spent 29 years there working on products ranging from military radios and missile guidance systems to wireless mine radios and home security systems. Michael’s passion in life was electronics, and he was blessed to do what he loved. He retired in 2013 from Lectrosonics, Inc. Rio Rancho, NM as a senior RF Design Engineer, where he designed wireless audio equipment. His designs became an industry standard worldwide for broadcast stations and networks.
Michael loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman, hunter, and Life Member of the NRA. He was also a lifetime member of the Croatian Fraternal Union of America. His hobbies included photography, playing the guitar, woodworking, gunsmithing, and mountain man rendezvous. He was a Boy Scoutmaster, served as the Chief Hunter Safety Instructor for Northeastern New Mexico, and was a Search and Rescue Field Coordinator with the NM State Police for 15 years. In 1972 as a member of the Colfax County Wildlife and Conservation Association a presentation was made to the City of Raton to save Surgarite Canyon, a historical Coal Mining Camp six miles northeast of Raton, from development. Michael became Chairman of the Sugarite Canyon Commission and in 1984 the New Mexico Parks Department was contacted, and the process began to turn Sugarite Canyon over to the State of NM. In 1985 Michael’s beloved Sugarite Canyon became one of New Mexico’s most beautiful State Parks.
The family would especially like to thank the caregivers at the Neighborhood in Rio Rancho who lovingly cared for Michael the last three years of his life and to his team from Hospice of New Mexico who cared for him the last year. They are all true Heroes.
Due to Covid-19 no services are planned at this time. Burial will take place at a later date in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Raton, NM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of New Mexico www.hospiceofnewmexico.com
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