Michael Myles

Obituary For Michael Myles

Mr. Michael Myles passed away Sunday, March 19, 2023 at Moses Cone Hospital.

Funeral will be held Sunday, March 26, 2023 2 pm New Light Baptist Church. Visitation 1:30 pm.

Burial will be held at a later date Mt. Ever Rest Memorial Park Kalamazoo, MI.

Our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, Michael Myles, was a kind, gentle and giving person who always had a word of advice to share with others. Michael was born in Greenville, MS, to Henry and Ida Myles on November 19, 1942. He was the sixth of seven children born to this union.

Michael attended Sacred Heart Catholic School, until he enrolled in public school in the seventh grade at Coleman High School; where he met his High School Sweetheart and the love of his life, Miss Bernice Williams. He and Bernice were married on July 3, 1961. They later moved to Milwaukee, WI, to start a better life for their growing family. Michael worked at Grede Foundries in West Allis, WI. As Michael furthered his career, he and his family moved to Kalamazoo, MI, where he became a Licensed Practical Nurse in mental health for the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital. Michael continued to advance his career, and in 1967, he began working for General Motors where he remained until his retirement, after 43 years of service.

Michael converted from Catholicism to the Baptist faith in 1992 and became a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Kalamazoo, MI, where he was baptized under the leadership of Reverend Addis Moore. He was active in the culinary ministry and the After School program at the church, and he actively participated in Wednesday night Bible Study and Sunday School classes.

Michael was an avid tennis player and fan. He volunteered every year at the USTA Boys’ National Championship tennis tournament. He enjoyed coaching Little League baseball and tennis and was a self-made entrepreneur who invested in real estate properties and started a small business - building and repairing computers. He donated the rebuilt computers to the youth in his community. After his retirement he worked with Kalamazoo County Age on Aging Medicare D program for Senior Citizens. When the frigid Midwestern weather began to negatively impact Michael’s health, he and Bernice moved to Greensboro, NC, in 2017. They joined New Light Missionary Baptist Church in December 2018, under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Cardes H. Brown, Jr.

On Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 5:58 PM at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, Michael was called home to take his rest with his Heavenly Father. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Ida Myles; his son, Tyrone K. Myles, Sr.; his two brothers: Rudolph and Henry Myles, Jr. and two sisters: Viola Sawyer and Gloria Jean McCullum. He leaves to cherish his memories: his wife of 61 years 8 months Bernice Myles and his children: Michael L. Myles II of Mogadishu, Somalia; Kennith R. Myles, Sr. (Linda) of Coppell, TX; Frederick D. Myles of Tulsa, OK; Kayon D. Myles Mitchell (Fairold) of Greensboro, NC; Tomirika L. Myles of Shenzhen, China and Bryttani K. Myles of Doha, Qatar; two brothers: Frederick K. Myles (Sheila) of Kalamazoo, MI, and Tommie L. Myles (Dinah) of Marion, IN; one sister-in-law, Elizabeth Myles (Rudolph) of Kalamazoo, MI; sixteen grandchildren; sixteen greatgrandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and two special friends, James Breniman and Rida Jones.