Michael Suvak

Michael, my Dad, was the type of person that was so unique that the qualities that made him who he was couldn't be compared to anyone else. He taught me kindness, understanding, resilience and instilled in me the constant pursuit of further knowledge. Although this post is years after his passing, there isn't one day that goes by where I don't think of him. I am in my third year at Suffolk University now and it's a blessing I get to go to school on the campus he loved so much. From a very young age he would take my sister and I on campus with him. We had our traditions when we visited. First, we would go to the copy machine on his floor, and we would make prints of our hands. He kept every print. Then we would "do our rounds" which meant he proudly introduced us to everyone on his floor along with security guards and other staff throughout the building. Finally, we would hang up whatever art we made for him and spend the rest of our time playing on his big computer and chatting with whoever stopped by. One of my favorite childhood memories at Suffolk was when he needed to switch offices. As many people who knew him know he was not the most organized. He had moving bins still in his office after many months. My sister and I helped him organize a bit before we realized it was way more fun to push each other up and down the halls in these bins. Instantly, he went from work mode to dad mode and encouraged our antics. Beyond our adventures at Suffolk, my dad made every day feel like a new adventure. He did everything he could to give my sister and I a positive experience together. Whether that looked like hide and seek, kickball in the back yard or him teaching us something new (even when we were rolling our eyes and complaining). He never failed to remind us that we were the most important things in his life. My dad was the type of man who didn't care what other people thought. He was secure in his beliefs and knew right from wrong above anything else. His taste in music and literature will always wow me. I lost him at too young of an age, but when I read these posts, I know I still and will always have him with me. His sarcasm, willingness to help in the best way he knew how, and his constant curiosity are qualities I will always cherish. I am who I am because of him. Reading these posts about him reminds me how proud I am to be his daughter. I see both his strengths and his "flaws" in myself and what I want to do above anything is to make him proud and continue his legacy. He was truly one of a kind, and I hope I can make as much of an impact as he did. As I grew older, I realized just how kind, authentic, and a true intellectual he was, and I forgive him. I love you, dad, and I will always strive to make you proud and follow in your footsteps.