Carl about Mike

                                                                        Carl about Mike

I have been writing little fragments of family history as I remember it. I try to keep them short and concise and interesting by taking literary license. The jingoistic slogan is “when the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. I write what I remember with legendary facts to back it up .It is Mike’s turn to become a legend.        

When I graduated from High School in 1961, Mike and Steve were kids. I remember Mike and his two buddies Bill Valdez and John Carrigan. They were practically inseparable. They were like the Three Musketeers.

They went through grade school together and High School together. They spent a lot of time playing sports and their sport was Basketball. They played for the varsity Basketball team in High School. Mike was 5’11”and played one guard. Bill was the other guard about the same height. John played center at about 6’3’, not a very tall team. I don’t know their record but at least they were very competitive. Mike himself is very competitive in everything he does. A more tenacious, competitive and hard nosed athlete I don’t know of. As an example of his nature, He, Ralph and Chris would play games of 21, a sandlot basketball game, one on one. Mike would win as often as not. Mike’s competitive nature is not confined to sports. He is equally as competitive in Business as he was in the class room. When Mike and I were at BYU together, we played a lot of ping pong at the Y center. We played so regularly we each purchased our own ping pong paddles. Mike became quite good and I don’t remember winning very often. His competitive nature has never been to deprive someone of self esteem or to step on someone who is down. He simply wants to do the best he possibly can. Sometime in the 70,s or 80,s I decided to take up golf seriously. My goal was to become a single digit handicap golfer. I was talking to Mike about joining the Utah Golf Association and Mike was doing the same where he lived. He has taken up the game with a passion and bolstered by his competitive nature he has become a very good golfer. When he and Ralph get together on the golf course, the competition begins. They both belong to the single digit handicap club and are very competitive. They always play for money because it doesn’t matter what the score is, it only matters who has to take out his wallet. It is always fun to play when a few dollars are on the line and the competition is very keen.

Mike went on a mission to Ecuador. I don’t know anything about that time. When he came home, he came to BYU and lived with me for awhile. Before his mission, he was dating a cute local  siren named Heidi Hertig. She waited for him but did have some dates while he was gone. While Mike was at BYU there was trouble in paradise.  He got word that some guy was after Heidi, so he borrowed my car and headed for California to protect and solidify his interest. The ignominious grass cutter lost to Mike in a contest where the rules of Queensbury did not apply.                                                                                                                            Mike and Heidi married and began a family and a career. Mike held several jobs before his present one. Mike’s competitive nature and attitude has been the source  of  much of his company’s  success. I dare believe that he is major reason for Apple One’s success to the present. Moreover, he has never let his competitiveness over shadow the need for compassion for those who are less fortunate. As I have watched  the family , Mike  has been the  unsung , unappreciated, and  under  the veil of some of the more vocal and  flamboyant  and some of  the more self  serving  members of  the family. Mike serves in the background, he does what needs to be done without a lot of fanfare or glory. He is simply there with whatever he can offer for help. Mike is content to remain anonymous in his service. He keeps away from the lime light, it is sufficient to perform without anyone taking notice. The help he has given to the family has been generous, how generous only those involved know how important he has been. As Bishop he has been equally helpful to those who needed help.  He has never been one to seek for recognition or to be first. He has been an example of Mark 10:44 He who would be chiefest shall be the servant of all. He has always been a pillar of strength to the family. He is always there with a keen mind, a willing heart, and the means to make them work. Mike is less greedy, less selfish, less bumptious and yet more caring and more concerned about others than most of us. He is our example. His posterity should call him blessed and we all should be privileged to call him brother twice.

Carl L Hoyal