Michael Timothy Jones's memory board

chelsea ling The day Michael began his journey of changing people's lives and the entire world. (portrait taken by Brian McClendon)

chelsea ling "My husband Dwight & I were very good friends with Michael & June when they lived in Raleigh. We met sometime in 1980 when Dwight & Michael started working together. We were all young, broke, and trying to figure out life. We were a good foil for each other: to question, sharpen, and focus for the future. Dwight & Michael had many jobs, business startups, ideas for startups, and pursuits together. I have a lot of memories of those times. Staying up all night and talking. Playing games like Rail Baron or Uno. Cooking Chinese food together and talking. Eating out at restaurants together Sizzler and Darryl's being our favorites. Dwight and I had moved to Columbia, SC for a job. They helped us move and then had to drive back late at night for work the next day. I would take the train from there to Raleigh and stay with them. At restaurants, Michael liked to order "bubbly Coke, with crushed ice and a large diameter drinking straw." His favorite number was 153. His favorite word was "plum." He once tricked June into eating a "felt pickle" They called us DRF and TEF (our initials) and even had that embroidered on towels for us. The world has a missing piece with Michael gone." - Theresa Frye (photo of Michael & June with Dwight & Theresa's son, Christopher)

chelsea ling "...The other story I want to tell is regarding the move that Theresa and I made to Columbia, SC for a job. We had ended up in a situation where we were dead broke, and the job I could find at that point was in SC working for a fledgling microcomputer manufacturer. We were in such dire straits that we had to borrow money to pay for the UHaul we needed to move our belongings to Columbia. We had no help, none at all, except for Michael and June. They came and helped us load, followed us to Columbia, & helped us unload. They weren't able to stay as Michael had to be back at work the next day. They turned right around when we were done and drove home. They went far far out of their way to help friends who badly needed some help. It was was a very hard time for us, and very sad. We didn't really want to move but had no choice as we needed that job. We had no money, and had to hang on by a thread until the first paycheck. And the only people who came and helped ... were Michael and June. I've never forgotten that, and was and will be forever thankful for their kindness and help. That is who they were. That was the kind of friends they were.Our long term goals weren't exactly the same, and Michael pursued his in California while we stayed here in NC to pursue ours. As these things usually go, we drifted apart. I think we saw them only once after they moved to CA, and even then I could feel the distance that had grown. I understood, that is how life works. Our season with Michael and June had passed, but it left behind many memories. They may not have known it, but they always stayed key players in our lives, even if only in the form of fond and often visited memories.While Michael had no longer been part of our day-to-day lives, Theresa and I were heartbroken to hear the news. Sitting here writing out some of these memories I end up smiling & thinking of some of the times we all spent together, and some of the crazy/funny/improbable things that happened along the way. We are richer people for having had Michael and June Jones pass through our lives. I thank you for letting me share some of my memories, as well.” - Dwight Frye

chelsea ling “Many people now writing about him know him for all his various successes, and his public face. Those events happened after we parted ways, with them moving to California and us electing to stay in North Carolina. So our memories of them are quite different. They’re from a time when they were just starting out, and at times truly struggling. Similarly, it was a time when we often struggled as well. We shared plans & dreams and often pursued them together. We faced problems and failures together. The first story is about how I met Michael. I took a job with a fledgling company owned by the head of the NCSU computer science department. This would have been some time around 1980, so not long after Michael and June met. The work at Computer Associates itself is irrelevant, but the conditions under which we worked were terrible. It was a truly amazingly bad job. Breathtakingly bad, on multiple levels. To give a taste of how bad things were, when it rained we were obligated to use a large squeegee to push the water off the floor and out the door because the roof in all but one room leaked like a sieve. To this day I rank it as the worst job I've ever held. It is the one and only job I have ever simply said "this is enough, I quit" and walked out on, never to come back. But it had one huge silver lining. I met Michael, and he went on to become one of the best friend I ever had, and someone who played a pivotal role in my life for the next few years. My first impression of him was ... well, that guy is odd. However, while he stuck me as odd, I kinda liked him. He was quirky, but was smart, and was fun. He had a lot of strange ideas, but ideas that were amusing and fun to explore. In time the talking about odd quirky ideas, and the sheer enthusiasm with which Michael attacked every idea and every problem was impossible to resist. Over the years we pursued business ideas together. I quit jobs to come work with him. We spent time at each other's homes, and helped each other when we had struggles. I can't begin to count the time we four spent together, and those are times (even with some difficult parts) that I always think about fondly..."

chelsea ling "After my first year at NC State, a friend I’d made in the University Singers asked me if I was interested in sharing an apartment she’d found just off campus. The 2-story house was divided into 6 apartments, and our space was through double doors just off the foyer as you entered the house. We got along well - an alto and a soprano - and there was even parking right beside the property for my blue Ford Maverick. Before the autumn term began, our landlady had mentioned “Mike Jones”, who was moving into the basement apartment so often, that everyone upstairs was anxious to meet him. So, one afternoon when the exterior front door squeaked open, I rushed over and flung open my right hand door - right into Michael’s nose! Then, as I was apologizing, I inquired if he was Mike (d*mn that landlady!). So now, I’d embarrassed myself twice in as many sentences. But, Michael had come upstairs to use the house phone, which I was in charge of, so I had a chance to redeem myself. He called his grandmother in San Diego to share his first day at college. He obviously cared for his grandparents, and as I was raised by my mine, our first conversation easily fell into their unconditional love and the influence they had in our lives. It seemed like we talked non-stop since that first meeting. I don’t believe either of us thought of it as dating. We just enjoyed being together. But, it became clear to both of us before a year had gone by, that we’d fallen for each other. Realizing the significance of the date, we quickly had the proper medical exams and applied for our license, so we could be married on August 23rd, the one-year anniversary of the smashing day we met." - June Jones

chelsea ling There is one thing that remains constant in our lives: hellos and goodbyes. We often meet so many humans in our lives for many purposes, reasons, and even life lessons. If you are ever so fortunate to meet a person, one that inspires you, challenges you, supports you and changes your life…do your best to cherish that person and thank them. I met this rare and unique human being 25 years ago…that human was Michael Jones. If you were to Google him, well you would able to find every important piece of information about his career and contributions to the world…considering he was a former Googler himself. To many people in the technology and innovative world, he is known as a husband, a well-respected and admirable colleague, a successful entrepreneur, an inventor of Google Earth, the CTA of Google, an investor, a genius, a business and government advisor, a popular public speaker, a recipient of honorary medals, and even a former Walt Disney Imagineer. The list goes on. But what Google can’t tell you is what I know about him. I know him simply as “Uncle Michael” …my godfather, but above all…I know him to be one of the most extraordinary, humble, wise, inspiring, and unforgettable humanitarians to ever say hello to me. Throughout my life, it was already incredible and inspiring to me how he worked at Disney and Google, both companies that are highly respected, well-known, and share the same goals. It seemed like Michael was destined to work for these companies because he was passionate about the very thing that define these companies: finding ways to connect people everyday. But what inspired me most was how Uncle Michael found ways to connect with people everyday inside and outside of his work life. He found ways to touch people’s lives and even change them without people knowing. Gandhi has a famous saying, “if you wish for change in the world, you must be the change in the world.” I can 1000% confirm Michael, with every ounce of his fiber-being and will, lived his life following this very saying. He genuinely cared about the quality of human lives and even the environment. He spent his time traveling the world to meet government officials of different countries to discuss improving the quality of life. He acknowledged the hardships and disparity other humans faced who live outside of the tech and innovative world….but most importantly, he acted on change and went out into the world to do something about these issues (a lot of issues we still face today). Any search engine could tell you small details about his personal & private life outside of the his tremendous career. But what the internet doesn’t reveal is his life as a father. Although my godparents never had children of their own, I believe my brother and I were the closest thing they had to children. My godparents could never be a substitute or replace my actual parents, but to me they were my 2nd pair of parents. Both of my godparents, whom were led strongly by their faith in God and their unconditional love for one another, shaped the woman I am today. I’ve never believed that family is solely defined by genetics, biology, or bloodlines. And for me, my godparents were my family because they did everything a parent was supposed to do. Michael showed up and was always present, whether it was important milestones in my life or the lowest points in my life. He shared his knowledge and personal experiences, when I needed advice or guidance. He constantly encouraged me in everything I did, especially when it came to embracing my creative and artistic side. He shared his passion and enthusiasm for traveling with me and even gifted me his flying miles to send me to the Netherlands. His personality was truly colorful and vibrant in many ways. He was a genius, highly intelligent, wise beyond his years, and super creative: these very traits allowed him to excel so far in the world. One of his most admirable traits was his ability to be resilient throughout life, no matter how tragic and dark it was at times. But at the end of the day, he always remained a kid at heart. His ability to love and care, shined through in every relationship he built. I feel so fortunate to have been loved by him. He carried out every promise he made and he never made promises he couldn’t keep. He also taught me what it meant to be selfless and to be a loyal partner. Everything he did for me was always selfless, which is how I knew his love for me was unconditional. He always led by example, which is what defined him as a father. I recall a time when he once said to me, “I wish I could give you the world.” I knew, deep to my core, that is something a father would say to his daughter. My brother and I once talked about what Uncle Michael would be doing in heaven right now. We joked and even laughed at the thought of someone approaching Uncle Michael to say, “Hi there, I’m a little lost…could you help me?” And he would respond, “Of course. Let me introduce to a thing called, Heaven Maps.” Knowing that we share the same humor, I bet he just let out a chuckle after hearing this. Even in heaven, he is finding ways to change people’s lives. We thought about who he would see or have conversations with. We thought maybe he would say, “Ok, first stop is maybe to see my old friend, Stephen Hawking.” Maybe he would reunite and talk with his parents. I’m sure there are people lining up to talk with Uncle Michael. He was always an intriguing being to converse with. To say I miss him…is just beyond an understatement. Knowing he is gone and no longer walking this planet… the thought itself, just ignites an unbearable pain in my heart, the kind of deep pain you feel in your bones. Loss is never easy, but his passing made me realize what my purpose in life is: to carry out his legacy. A legacy that consists of kindness, compassion, ambition, change, and passion. To simply put it, his legacy is to change the world and be a good humanitarian. I made a promise to make sure the world will never forget who Michael Jones is. For 25 years, it has been one of the highest honors and blessings to be his daughter. Every conversation, every interaction, every moment I had with him…I essentially walked away feeling like a better human being. So I’ve made it my life mission to follow in his footsteps: to shape human lives for the better good, to the best of my ability, in every aspect of my life. I even hope one day to work for Google, so I can continue building off of what he accomplished there. So Uncle Michael, here’s to celebrating the vibrant, beautiful, and unforgettable humanitarian you are…and always will be. I love you and may you always rest in peace. You will be dearly missed by many humans.

chelsea ling "Uncle Michael and Auntie June celebrating my first birthday. I'm pretty sure I reached for the cake and took a chunk out moments after this picture was taken! They've never missed a birthday with me. Whether it was in-person gatherings, sending flowers, cards, or gifts...they spoiled me like I was their own." - Chelsea

chelsea ling "I first met Michael when he visited the Computer Science department at UNC-Chapel Hill. The email announcing his visit is so vintage now, it warrants a reproduction in full. I was a PhD student there and scheduled to give him a demo. After that we kept in touch and met again at the SIGGRAPH conference. He was down to earth and inspiring at the same time, a quality that was evident from the beginning. Because of him, I had little doubt in my mind where I really wanted to go after finishing my degree in summer 1998. I wanted to head west and join Silicon Graphics (SGI). By the time I got to SGI, he was already gone to start a company, Intrinsic Graphics, with a few colleagues. I joined Intrinsic about a year later. It was an exciting time and the beginning of my start-up life. Intrinsic spun out Keyhole, which was acquired and became Google Earth. In the years that followed I had the good fortune of crossing paths with Michael a few times, at Google, Wearality, and Niantic. Beyond his pioneering technological achievements, he is a renaissance man with deep insights. His impressive mind is curious, capacious and sympathetic. Michael, using his own code, even computed a Mandelbrot Set image as an example of good sampling for my students at China Academy of Art. I cherished Michael’s presence in this world and this has become more acutely evident now that he has moved on. He has been an unfailing mentor and friend. Rest in Peace, Michael!" - Hansong Zhang

chelsea ling "MTJ just casually wearing a napkin and forks on his head" -Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Celebrating double birthdays! Which means double dessert! We always celebrated their birthdays together, since they both have March birthdays" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "Uncle Michael, my dad (Patrick) and my mom (Mari) pictured here celebrating my dad's birthday! I often love looking at photos and seeing both my dad & Uncle Michael wearing their Walt Disney Imagineer shirts" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "In true Uncle Michael fashion - always building something!" -Chelsea

chelsea ling "Always by each other's side. Here we were patiently waiting for the yummy Thanksgiving dinner to be ready. I have to say, Uncle Michael also looks pretty stylish here!" -Chelsea

chelsea ling "Celebrating Uncle Michael's birthday! My family and Michael & June used to go often to this restaurant - Michael's. It was on El Camino Real and I recall Michael loved their fresh brewed iced tea. The waiters even remembered to give him a straw and a lemon wedge whenever we came to eat! Not to mention they had great bread and a yummy house-special butter spread" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "A Letter To Uncle Michael - Dear Uncle Michael, Words are not enough to describe my love for you. Ever since I was a boy, you and Auntie June always watched over Chelsea and I. From car rides, to field trips, and the occasional secret dinners, you taught us both to remember what’s truly important and never be afraid to fail. You reminded me to always be myself, dare greatly, and stay curious. Chelsea and I are forever grateful for your love, the times we spent together, and your relentless optimism. I will miss you always, I promise to take care of Chelsea, and to follow my heart. I love you." - Winston These photos were taken a few months later at one of our favorite restaurants. We often ate at my family friend's Persian restaurant - Chelokababi (March 1999)

chelsea ling "It was an exciting thing to go to this space shuttle launch together" -Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "We always made an effort to have family dinners often. I do believe Uncle Michael and Auntie June were the life of any party! " -Chelsea

chelsea ling "These photos are actually really important, but not great visually. We are signing the documents creating Intrinsic Graphics and signing up as employees for the company. It's the 4 founders plus Andrea Ruben (our finance person) and Dan Webb (our first engineer hired). And it's in the building we rented!" -Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Easter dinner at Michael and June's place. Aren't they the cutest bunnies you have ever seen? hehe"

chelsea ling Some fun times at Kurt Akeley's birthday party! - photos from Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Uncle Michael and Auntie June always supported me in all my activities (even when I wore this silly pink tutu outfit for my tap dance recital). I could always look into a crowd and know they were there, even if I couldn't see physically see them from a distance" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "This was us going to Japan and China together. June, my daughter, and wife (at the time) got to join us too. We had a great time traveling as two families and touring Japan & China together. You can even see us in China enjoying a traditional duck at dinner in the restaurant." -Brian McClendon

chelsea ling More pictures from Brian, June, and Michael's trip to Japan/China (photos from Brian McClendon)

chelsea ling Michael and his goddaughter, Chelsea, celebrating Father's day together!

chelsea ling Michael and his godson, Winston, playing around together!

chelsea ling Michael and June enjoying a nice day during summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. If you look closely, you'll notice Michael drinking his favorite iced tea. Taken by Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "These are the first Google office pictures. Probably very early in 2004, right when we moved in." - Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "From the Christmas party at Google. Pictured here is Sue and her husband, who were Intrinsic employees, that came with us to Google" -Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Google briefly changed the name for "Google Maps" to "Google Local" when the services merged...something which MTJ and several of us were strongly against. After some time of the new name confusing the heck out of our users, they changed it back. And they did, MTJ had the name literally set in stone, so they'd never change it again. For a long time, this rock was displayed outside the "Moon Room" nap station in the main Geo building" - Jessica Pfund

chelsea ling Some office pictures back at Google - photos from Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Michael and I, more Michael, but both of us helped this guy take these huge pictures. That thing that they're carrying, it's a camera they're holding with the tripod. The TV crew is filming them, while Michael and Graham use the giant camera because it's such an usual thing. It's a film camera taken from a SR71 - something that takes national security pictures . He bought it at a government auction and he built lenses for it, so he could take landscape pictures. It's called the Gigapixel camera and it ended up being 4 giga pixels per image taken on a 11 inch by 19 inch negative." - Brian McClendon

chelsea ling A beautiful portrait of Michael and June taken by Armistead Sapp

chelsea ling Setting up the camera at NASA to take pictures of the space shuttle - photos from Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "In July of 2005, Michael and I went to the air show, Oshkosh. I only got to there this one time, but it was a blast." - Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "a party at Sue Cozzo's house for the 4th of July" - photos from Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "We got to go fly in this plane, in "Fat Albert", at the airshow in San Francisco. Pictured here is the Blue Angels and "Fat Albert," the plane that flies with them. Michael flew inside and I got to fly in the cockpit of this plane. They do 0 G and 4 1/2 G moves in this plane. It was a big experience." - Brian McClendon

chelsea ling Sky Maps with David Rumsey

chelsea ling Sky Maps with David Rumsey

chelsea ling Mr. Google Earth himself! - photo from June

chelsea ling GEC Moderator Camp (photo from Kevin Pusey)

chelsea ling Google Earth Community group at National Geographic DC (photo from Phil Verney)

chelsea ling President Obama's visit to Google! (photos from Jenifer Austin)

chelsea ling "Here is a photo of MTJ presenting to then Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice and David Milleband with the UK government" - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling London - photo from Kevin Pusey

chelsea ling "I owe my love for travel and exploration to this man. I first met Michael -the "seer"- in June 2006 at his home in California. He entrusted me to serve as a moderator of the online forum and program beta tester. As a token of my time, I visited Google offices in California, Boulder, Washington DC, London, and Sydney on Google's dime. I was awarded an exceptional scholarship as an undergrad because of a standout letter of recommendation he wrote for me. All he did was give. He gave so much. And he gave the world the opportunity to explore our planning in stunning detail. Michael, my dear friend, now you have the best view of the world. You deserve it." -Stephen Kemp

chelsea ling "Photos from when Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, came to visit Google" - Brian McClendon

chelsea ling "Using Technology to Understand and Protect the Ocean" - Google Earth at Manado Convention Center

chelsea ling Google Earth at Manado Convention Center (continued) - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling "In 2010 the Google Geo teams moved to a new building. Our area was decorated in an outer space theme. Imagine carpets with galactic prints and planetary murals on the walls. There was a "moon room" set aside for a quiet space, dimly lit and full of bean bags. A year later, our group's VP moved in to the building with her staff. Michael was asked to move offices. He did...into the moon room. He trailed his desk in, hooked up an extension cord, renamed it "Tranquility Base", and then sent email announcing that the eagle had landed and everyone was welcome to drop by." - Michael Ashbridge

chelsea ling Some Google memories with MTJ - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling A visit from Al Gore at Google. You can see Michael explaining the demo of the Liquid Galaxy display. - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling "I just wanted to share a small memory from my son, Jay. He was 17 at the time, and came with me on a Google Earth Moderator trip to Rome. He met Michael briefly, but he made a huge impression on him - a really good impression. Jay was so sad to hear of Michael's passing." - Sue Freedman Bunch

chelsea ling Google Sea Space with MTJ - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling Visiting Iceland to meet the President (photos from Jenifer Austin)

chelsea ling Representatives from the GeoEye2 corporation and their prime user, Google, tour the B/159 high bay for a first hand look at the GeoEye 2 satellite. (Photo from Brian McClendon)

chelsea ling Michael visiting with the Google Ocean Team -Jenifer Austin, Kurt Schwehr, and Jamie Adams (photo from Jenifer Austin)

chelsea ling NOAA talk with Michael - photos from Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling "This is when MTJ introduced Captain Don Walsh, the first person to go to the deepest part of the ocean, the Marianas trench in the Trieste sub designed by Jacques Piccard, whose son has spoken at google on the solar plane." -photos provided by Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling "Another big milestone for me - graduating high school. Thank you Uncle Michael and Auntie June for being my biggest supporters and cheerleaders! Couldn't have done it without you" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "Michael was an amazing man, and an inspirational speaker. I may possibly have been one of the few people to embarrass him. In July 2014 Michael and June visited Brussels and invited me to lunch. I chose a small restaurant near to my office, and we had a lovely time. It was only when the bill arrived I remembered the restaurant didn't take credit cards. Poor Michael didn't have enough cash and had to ask me to pay part of it! Of course they insisted on repaying me when we met in Boulder later in the year. And gave me a pair of earrings as well." - Hazel Caplen

chelsea ling "MTJ's Keynote at the Arctic Circle Summit in Iceland" - Jenifer Austin

chelsea ling "Having dinner at Uncle Michael's favorite Italian spot: Pezzella's! Every moment spent with them was special" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "A meeting at a local Starbucks in the Wearality days" - Hansong Zhang

chelsea ling "Michael took Doug almost everywhere. This was the original Doug. Sometime later in life, Doug disappeared (left on an airplane) Michael was crestfallen. It took him a couple of years to find a replacement. Doug had his own website." - Robin E. Ziegler www.firtravel.blogspot.com/?m=0

chelsea ling "Michael is best known as the founder and inventor of the technology for Keyhole Corporation which was acquired by Google in 2004 and went on to become Google Earth. Michael spent over ten years at Google as CTO of Google Maps, Google Earth, and Local Search, and more latterly as Google’s Chief Technology Advocate before leaving to take on a number of outside roles. Michael became a Managing Partner at Seraphim Capital in 2016, where he helped launch the first venture capital fund to focus on Space. His insights and active involvement with the portfolio proved invaluable. Alongside Seraphim Michael was also an executive at Niantic where he worked with his co-founder from Keyhole. Michael was a kind, thoughtful and highly intelligent man who changed the world – he will be missed." -Mark Boggett (Some pictures of Michael giving a key note speech at the launch of the Seraphim Space Fund all taken in the Science Museum in London in Sept. 2017).

chelsea ling Michael and June attending their godson's high school graduation! What a proud day for them and Winston!

chelsea ling "On Angels / Ave Atque Vale to Michael Jones Every so often an angel walks into your life and shows you a whole different way to look at life, teaches you things you’d never thought of, makes you feel special, and gives you a quantum push forward. For me it was Michael Jones. A warrior till the end, Michael fought his cancer like no one else I know. After 3.5 years of fighting the most aggressive type of cancer I’d ever seen, he died this morning. We traveled the world together and secured some of the most important partnerships for@NianticLabs. I will always remember our trips together. It brought me great joy to just hang out with him and discuss our life plans and how we could accelerate them. His indefatigable determination to fight and always be better will always be with me. I will always carry him with me wherever I go. Ave Atque Vale! Hail and Farewell. In Memoriam "If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector tamer of horses. Let them say, I lived in the time of Achilles" - Odysseus, The Iliad" -Omar Tellez

chelsea ling "One story in particular was when I was with the Venture Capital Firm 3i, Michael came to present Intrinsic Graphics to the rest of my team as I was already sold on the opportunity. Michael was so excited about the technology and in particular what it would be able to do in the future that he was just giddy. He claimed "you would actually be able to just look at your phone to see how to get places ". The head of our firm didn't really get it and asked him in a smart a** way "why wouldn't you just stop looking at your d*mn phone and just look down at the street and figure out where you are?" to which Michael replied, "I'm sorry, apparently you just don't get it, haven't you ever gotten lost or do you even have a phone? That would have been a better first question for me to have asked" but said in a charming and disarming way, the room broke out in laughter and we completed the deal shortly thereafter. You had to be there I guess because it doesn't seem so funny when I write it down but it was hilarious when he said it. Another was when he and June had just gotten matching fancy watches that could jump from time zone to time zone with just a push of the button. On one particular trip he was so excited to tell me that they both pushed the next timezone button at the exact moment they crossed the meridian and was super excited. He truly had an infectious enthusiasm that you couldn't help but be pulled in like a tractor beam to hear more of whatever he was discussing." - Nelson Stacks

chelsea ling "During my last semester in college at SJSU, I was thinking about visiting Amsterdam for spring break. I didn't travel much when I was younger, except for a few states here & there. But it was always a big dream of mine to visit Europe. I remember telling Uncle Michael about my reasons for wanting to visit and why Amsterdam peaked my interest. He then told me, "well if you'd like to visit some day, you know I travel often...and I have plenty of flyer miles that I'd be willing to share." So a few weeks before spring break, I decided to take him up on the offer. And without hesitation, Michael gifted me his flyer miles to the Netherlands. Michael and June even sent me a small care package before I went to prepare me for the trip, including a small tourist guide book! I remember June even wrote me a post-it note: Don't stress, you're going to do great! (I still have this note to this day) I recall leaving California to Amsterdam as one person. When I returned home from my trip, I was a changed person and woman. I gained so much from this trip. I got to experience traveling on my own, being in a new country, meeting new people, learn about a new culture, and just simply explore the world that Michael talked so highly of. He of course gave me so many recommendations to visit, including the famous Van Gogh museum. But more importantly, during this trip I discovered a new found passion in life - traveling. I owe my passion and excitement for traveling to Michael...and much more. Indirectly, he also gave me a rare gift in life - closure. There is more to this story, but for now I wanted to emphasize I am forever grateful for this trip & always grateful for Uncle Michael" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "My godparents celebrating my college graduation from San Jose State University! Along with my mom (Mari) and my brother (Winston). It was a proud moment for me and my family. I love this photo simply because of the way Michael & June look at each other. You could always tell how much they adored one another. I always hoped to find a love like my godparents one day. I remember after my ceremony finished...we we started taking pictures. But I started to cry because of how accomplished and happy I felt. Michael still proceeded to take pictures because I think he knew it was such a big milestone in my life" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "We were heading back to Los Altos after a day’s meetings and Michael carried an interesting lady’s payload outside the Ferry Building in San Francisco." - Hansong Zhang

chelsea ling "A night out with the godparents! I just drove from work in Palo Alto. When I arrived, Uncle Michael insisted I come sit next to him. Whenever I saw Uncle Michael, he always greeted me and said in a mellow voice, "Hi sweetie or sweetheart." And whenever I saw Auntie June, she always greeted me by saying, " Hi darling!" with her radiant and uplifting voice. It was always soothing to hear them say those things to me. After a long day, I decided to have a small drink at dinner. I had a little bit of an Asian glow hehe...but Uncle Michael and Auntie June just giggled with me the whole night! We enjoyed a great dinner at the Fish Market" - Chelsea

chelsea ling "For my 25th birthday, I came home from dinner and unexpectedly found this HUGE, but beautiful bouquet of flowers from Uncle Michael and Auntie June. Although, we were thousands of miles apart...they still found a way to put a smile on my face. Through the years, I've kept all the notes, cards, etc from them for sentimental reasons. But it's 25 years of physical proof to show how much my godparents loved me" - Chelsea