The Story of Mike's Cafe
This coffee is dedicated to Michael Racheter. Michael tragically left us all at the young age of 31 in July of 2016. Michael was an avid coffee lover and was a regular of Coffeecology for some time before his passing. His love of coffee and belief in doing it right from bean to cup was evident to everyone around him. Below is a small story from his wife about the man with a café dream.
Michael had this unique sort of way that he smiled. Most people flash their teeth when the camera is put on them but that was rare for Michael. He could show very little and yet express so much with his almost Cheshire cat like grin and dancing eyes. It was a smile that suited him and often meant he was being clever or thought he was getting the best of someone.
Mike and Kate had dreams of opening their own coffee shop. Above is what Mike wrote on the chalkboard in their kitchen.
Michael was an introverted man with a brilliant mind. Where others would seek thrills he would seek knowledge. He would surf Wikipedia in his spare time and always had a stack of books from the library on the bedside table that the cat was all too happy to knock over on a daily basis; usually when Michael was reading. He could start a conversation with you about the interesting fact he’d recently read about the war of 1812, his view on the current political climate (always backed with statistics) then suddenly be on a tangent about the theories of future space travel. He was always worried his mind would fail him yet I have never met a sharper more knowledgeable man in my life.
He was wise beyond his years which didn’t just come from having to grow up too fast as a young man but was a true sign of his strength and character. Michael was not a religious man but he was moral one. He believed in always being there for your family and friends, in doing things the best way possible and when he didn’t know how, figuring out the best way as soon as possible.
Michael had a lot of dreams. He dreamt of being a politician and being a leader in Canada. He dreamt of one day visiting outer space. He dreamt of opening a café with his wife where they would serve her food and he would make sure they had the best coffee on the planet. He wanted to travel the world and take in as much of it as he could before they were too old to travel. Michael got to live a lot of the dreams he wanted in the time I knew him but unfortunately he never got to finish any of these ones.
I can say with absolute certainty that Michael was a happy man and was living life to the fullest at the end. He always felt he was a bit of a lone wolf but I could see in life and death the immense number of people’s lives that he touched. He was a rock to his family, he was deeply cared about at ATS by his work colleagues, he was an integral part of his circle of friends and he was the other half of my heart.
There is no question that there has been a void left in all of our lives from the sudden passing of Michael. He gave so much to everyone and to everything that he did. It’s always enraging when good people die young but Michael was all too aware that life is not always fair and can be a cruel and random journey at times. However, he also believed it could be a good one. He always kept a bottle of champagne in the fridge because “You never know when you’ll need to celebrate” and he believed one should always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. A belief he’d learned from many years of scouting as a child no doubt.
I hope Michael’s way of living and the way he touched people’s lives inspires you to live your own lives to the best of your abilities. Life is not always what you make of it but sometimes how you handle what life throws at you. Please remember Michael and the wonderful energy he brought to the universe. My heart cries every day for him but I also wrap myself in all the happiness and wonderful memories he left with me. Know Michael if you are out there that you are loved, you are missed and you will always be remembered.
Your Loving Wife,
Kate Racheter