Mike Sturm

Husband, father, firmware engineer, and all around geek from Edmond, Oklahoma.

1 minute read

My Dad, Gene Paul Sturm, Jr., of Bartlesville, OK passed away on March 2, 2020 after years of struggle against Alzheimer’s Disease. Below is a tribute to my father, friend, and mentor. I will never forget him and his tremendous, positive impact on my life.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-39 (NRSV)

I know that my dad understood and believed these words by the way he lived his life.

Dad demonstrated his love for God not only through sharing his faith and values within our family, but by recognizing the image of God in everyone and by marveling at the beauty of the universe He created.

Dad demonstrated his love for his neighbors by selflessly serving his community, his friends, and especially his family. He practiced sacrificial love, putting his own needs below the needs of those he loved.

Gene Paul Sturm, Jr.

I am a thankful recipient of Dad’s love, and his values forever shaped me into the husband and the father I am today.

I am thankful for a dad who always believed the best in people instead of the worst.

I am thankful for a dad who valued honesty and justice for those in society who were overlooked and marginalized.

I am thankful for a dad who was brilliant but never made you feel any less.

I am thankful for a dad who taught that loving God and loving science are not mutually exclusive but the truest expressions of knowledge.

I am thankful for a dad who believed in me as I pursued my educational and career dreams.

I am thankful for a dad who showed me how to treat family and friends with unrelenting love and respect.

I am thankful for a dad who loved my wife like his own daughter and who had overflowing love and pride for his grandchildren.

But I am mostly thankful for a dad who taught me to love God and love others - the values I need to live my life.

I will miss Dad until I see him in Heaven, but I know that I carry his values with me every day.

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