Michael Hester

Michael Alan Hester

1964 – 2020

Michael Alan Hester, 56 was taken by the LORD on May 17, 2020 from where he lived with Kim Hester in Pasadena, MD. He is survived by Kim Hester, Joshua Hester, Brittany Stack, Brooke Stack, Faith Hester, Aubrey Stack, Paige Hester, Patricia Turnbaugh, Sherry Shaffer, and Sharon Sutherland. Michael was born February 9, 1964 in Germany.

In the Old Testament we see how God views people when He said to Samuel “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” My Dad had a bigger heart than anybody I have ever known.

When you were around him there was a unique sense of comfort. He was very approachable. When you were facing trouble he offered a very calm and mellow spirit – a quality from faith I am certain that God instilled in him.

My father was also very soft spoken, as well as reserved. However, for someone who was often a man of few words everybody seemed to gravitate towards him. I would frequently hear people share how kind hearted and nice my father was. He also had a great sense of humor. He brought joy and laughter to those he was around. Everybody loved my Dad.

He was also as tough as nails. Many times he would come home from where he worked as a roofer with deep lacerations where he cut himself by mistake. This lead to instances where he would have to have stitches. If that wasn’t enough to endure, there was a time when he fell off the roof. Despite these things he was very resilient – he always went back to work. Whether in the freezing cold of the winter or in the blazing heat of the summer he made it back to work. He worked hard to provide for his family who he loved deeply.

One time when I was young my Dad told me about how he would work up to 72 hours a week. Upon him sharing this with me in awe I asked him, “How did you do that Dad”. He said to me, “I had to son. I had people counting on me. Whenever I was on that roof I thought about your Mom, you, and Brittany.” He made the ultimate sacrifice for my mother, sister, and I.          I hope to grow up to be half the worker my father was.

What also adorned my Dad was the subtle way that he shared wisdom. He was very intelligent, but it was almost as if he didn’t want anybody to know about it. In the book of Proverbs Solomon shares God’s wisdom that he asked for from Him. Proverbs 12:23 describes how “prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge”. Others versions will go as far as to say “A man who is shrewd conceals his knowledge”, or “A wise man doesn’t display his knowledge”. When I think about those scriptures in God’s Word I think about the way my Dad chose to share his wisdom with others.

One of the things I admired most about my father was that he didn’t care what anybody else thought about him. My Dad didn’t try to impress people. He was who he was regardless of what audience he was in front of. He made himself very transparent. He was a prime specimen of what it meant to be genuine.

When you think of the man my Dad became it is hard to imagine that he did not have a father who was there for much of his life. I remember my Dad saying to me “Son, I had to learn how to catch my own baseball”. It would have been so easy for him to give into the temptation of bitterness, but he did not. I am so proud of the Dad he was for my sister and I.

Brittany and myself have been so blessed to not only have a Dad who loved us, but a Dad who loved us unconditionally. Our Dad loved and cared for us for the simple fact that we were his children. There was nothing that we were ever going to do that was going to stop my Dad from loving us. One day when I was grown my Dad told me “It’s going to be me and you until the day we die.” I know he felt the same way about my sister. Brittany was and always will be his little girl. The reason that I am confident in this is because I have two daughters of my own now.

I cherish all of the memories he had made with myself, and our family. I fondly reflect on the times it snowed and when he took my sister and I sled riding down the hill of Tick Neck Park. I’ll always remember him playing catch with me in the backyard of our town home off of Holmespun Dr. I’ll never forget when I was young how we laughed so hard we would almost cry. And I will always remember when he would tell me how much he loved my Mom.

I loved my Dad so much. I am going to miss our talks about Ravens football and Orioles baseball. I am going to miss his deep bellowing laugh right alongside of mine as he shared his humor with me. I am even going to miss it when he teased me about how much I would always eat. Out of my own selfishness I want my Dad to be with me on Earth, but Jesus saw fit to take him from me – not out of cruelty, but out of His mercy. He saw the pain my father was in, and now He has brought him to a place where every tear he has ever shed has been wiped away. The LORD has taken him where there is no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. God is always good. I praise the LORD above for blessing me with a kind, caring, and loving Dad.

R.I.P. Dad. I love you with all my heart. I know I will see you again

In Jesus name, Amen

Relatives and friends are invited to call at the family owned and operated MCCULLY-POLYNIAK FUNERAL HOME, P.A. 3204 Mountain Road On Thursday, May 21, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM at which time funeral services will be held. Cremation services to follow.

*PLEASE NOTE THE FUNERAL HOME CAN ONLY ALLOW 10 PEOPLE AT A TIME INSIDE. THE FUNERAL HOME REQUIRES A FACE MASK OR COVERING TO BE WORN AT ALL TIMES. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE FUNERAL HOME IF YOU ARE FEELING SICK. WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO PROTECT THE FAMILIES WE SERVE AND OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU*