Michael O. Dooley

October 14, 1949 – January 2, 2020

Michael O Dooley, 70, of Longmont, Colorado, passed after a short illness Jan. 2, 2020, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood. “Mikey the Magnificent” as he jokingly called himself, was born to H.C. ‘Buddy’ and Patsy Dooley in Gila Bend, Arizona, Oct. 14, 1949.

Mike was active in the youth organizations of his church, played football and basketball at Gila Bend High School and spent his summers working as a cowhand for ranches around Gila Bend,
After graduating high school he was drafted into the Army. He served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as an infantry squad leader where he was decorated for heroism under fire.
After returning to ‘the land of the world’ in 1970, he worked as a driller on oil rigs, a toolpusher, a welder and finally as a cowboy. Mike would consider himself to be a lifelong cowboy. He loved horses and any kind of ranching. He also loved the outdoors- being an avid hunter, fisherman, gardener and nature observer.
Friends and family would describe Michael as tough, courageous, fearless to a point of fault, and determined to the point of stubbornness. He was never known to have backed down from a challenge. One of the biggest challenges of his life came in May 2015 when he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him wheelchair-bound with a very dismal diagnosis for recovery. Against all odds, he worked relentlessly to regain enough movement to live independently and relocated to Longmont to be close to his daughter and grandchildren.
He spent the last five years of his very full life adventuring all over Longmont in his electric wheelchair. He loved having coffee, lunch, and especially sushi with his grandkids. His favorite activity was watching his youngest grandchild play volleyball and cheering on the Berthoud Spartans volleyball team. Mike especially loved to watch the Osprey breeding pair at the Golden Ponds.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Shara and Clay Eisenberg and his grandchildren: DJ, Casey, Sarah and Chloe Eisenberg- all of Berthoud, along with many other family and friends scattered throughout the country.

A service will be held at a later date in his longtime home of Brigham City, Utah.