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Troy Mendez, Mike's nephew, said Mike passed away yesterday, 11-28-12 and as of yet, no further information is known.
Obituary from the Houston Chronicle:
Michael Joe Kalousek, 60, began his eternal life with the Lord on Wednesday , November 28th. Mike resided in The Woodlands, TX for about 17 years. For those who loved and knew him remember that he loved telling stories about his younger days of playing sports, being on the golf team at The University of St. Thomas, and working at Houston Country Club. Even through his years as a tax appraiser at Katy I.S.D., and publishing his book on property taxes,Mike continued his passion for golf. He so loved giving golf lessons and sharing the joy with others that he later established his related business, Publinx Greens.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Mary Lynn Kalousek; his son, Matthew, daughter in law Crystal, and grandson,Cody; his son, Russell and fiancé Amber Sickafoose; his mother Brooksi Kalousek; two brothers Mark and Steve Kalousek, and many more family members and friends.
Mike's love, character and tenacity throughout his life was an inspiration to all who knew him and he will be in our hearts forever.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to Interfaith of The Woodlands or St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
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Michael (Mike) Benestante
Service Information for our classmate and friend Michael Kalousek
Visitation
Memorial Service
We can also visit Dignitymemorial.com for to write in Michael's guest book...
Michael (Mike) Benestante
I will always remember Mike as the ultimate friend and the epitome of a gentleman. I was lucky enough to have Mike as a friend throughout high school and he became the big brother that I never had. Mike was a very wholesome, caring and giving person and I was blessed to have him in my life. We shared a love for basketball and golf and eventually became roommates after graduating from Waltrip. Kalousek was working at Houston Country Club and I was playing golf at Saint Thomas at that time and to say Mike kept me out of trouble would be an understatement. Mike was considerably more mature than I was so he became a guiding influence when I needed it the most.
In 1972 we took a road trip to Colorado together with our buddy Steve Harwell. We were able to play some of the best golf courses in that state thanks to Mike's connections at HCC. It was our first "out of state" road trip. While playing Denver Country Club, I remember Mike taking me to the side and giving me a well deserved lecture when my composure (or lack of such) became annoying. He reminded me in no uncertain terms that we were guest at this club. I remember that later we were homesick and broke in Boulder- Michael drove us home non-stop in 24 hours and did the entire driving himself! For some reason I always felt safe and secure in Michael's presence. Maybe it was because his judgement was so sound. Or perhaps it was because he was just such a good person.
A couple of years later, Mike had to endure a horrific experience at a very young age. Mike became a widower when his bride of 9 months was taken from him by some maniac in a crime too hideous to comprehend. Michael somehow had the faith and courage to "plow forward" without feeling sorry for himself. He somehow was able to forgive the murderer. His resilience was extraordinary. Mike's faith in mankind never departed him.
Soon thereafter, he was playing on the golf team at Saint Thomas destined to meet Mary Lynn Schultz, his future wife. After marrying, he worked as a real estate appraiser in Katy when he wrote a book on real estate in everyday language for laymen! Mike had a dream of building a golf course in the Katy wetlands and he dedicated himself towards that goal.
Later, Mike moved to the Woodlands and raised two fine young men, Matt and Russell. Mike also started giving golf lessons. He was able to spread his love of golf by spreading his fundamentals to students in Montgomery County. I know this was a joy for him because golf was his passion. The last few years he constructed putting greens in back yards for golf enthusiasts. Michael always had that entrepreneur spirit.
I wish I could have thanked Mike for all the lessons that I learned from him and how much I appreciated his company and his friendship. Michael was a genuine class act. He was always the opposite of selfish. I guess unselfish and giving described him best. I thank God that Michael did not have to suffer in the end. I also take comfort in knowing that Michael would have forgiven me if I did take our friendship for granted.