Michael R. Cholak, Jr. passed away from natural causes on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at his home.
Mike was born on September 22, 1969, to Michael R. Cholak Sr. and Patricia (Hase) Cholak.
Mike graduated from Tremper High School in 1987 where he met the love of his life, Julie Kuryanowicz. Julie and Mike were high school sweethearts and were married on 8/3/91 and shared a lifetime of love in their 33-year marriage. Their greatest loves were their two extremely beautiful children, Rachael Teagan (Mikey Usher) and Evan Michael (Madison Earing). There is nobody in the world Mike loved more than his wife and children.
Mike graduated from UW Milwaukee in 1991 where he earned a degree in accounting. He then went on to pass the CPA in one try after only studying for 5 days on a program he found online. He furthered his education, earning his Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctorate from Marquette University. Mike was always a student, learning something new every day.
Mike began his accounting career at Blue Cross/Blue Shield and moved on to Ernst and Young. He was always looking for new challenges, and places to fulfill his curiosity which landed him at Snap-On Tools as an auditor. Never a formal suit and tie guy, Mike felt like he needed to break away from corporate America and, like Frank Sinatra once said, do it his way. Mike, along with a friend, opened Cove Realty. The “cove” was a popular high school hangout on the dead-end street of 68th street, where Mike and Julie eventually bought their dream home. After real estate became too easy, Mike started his entrepreneurship in the popular bar scene in Kenosha, owning Captain Mike’s, Uncle Mike’s, Mikey’s, Mike’s Sportsbook, and Mike’s Chicken and Donuts. Mike finally found something where he could be himself and entertain people with shake-a-day, bad jokes, and good bourbon. If you knew Mike, you knew he was always looking to do more, learn more, and experience more and because he knew he needed to leave his mark on the world, he began a professorship at UW Parkside teaching young people that life is about so much more than what meets the eye. He taught Accounting, Law and Ethics, and multiple business classes.
Mike kept life interesting by continuously exploring numerous interests and hobbies including but not limited to gardening, pasta making, soup recipes, slot jockeying, cards, playing pickleball, teaching himself the guitar, bourbon tasting and collecting, betting on the ponies, biking, motorcycling, tattoos, attending Queen of Hearts drawings, wherever they may be, Bravo TV, searching for precious metals with a metal detector, ancestry, pop culture, golf, fidget spinners, magic tricks, street wear, craft cocktails, supper clubs, shoe collecting, celebrity chasing, thinking he was the “fat Brad Pitt”, healing crystals, jet skiing, snow skiing, bible reading, hockey, and most importantly, making the best memories with his friends and family.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ernie Heal. He is survived by his wife and children, his in-laws, Ron and Janet Kuryanowicz, his brother Terry Heal, sister Kathy (Mike) Jefferson, brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Sue Kuryanowicz, nieces Morgan, Peyton, Patty, and Peggy, nephew Carter and best friend Kristine (Dicky) Coshun.
Memorial and visitation will be held at one of Mike’s favorite places in Kenosha, The Moose Club – 3003 30th Ave. Family and friends can visit with the Cholak’s on Friday, November 15 from 12:30-4:30 with words of remembrance at 3:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation –
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (national office)
4550 Montgomery Ave.
Suite 1100 N
Bethesda, MD 20814
To honor Mike, please plan a Sunday Funday with your friends and laugh at the ridiculousness of our world. Cheers!
