Michael Edward Kayden

Michael Edward Katzenstein came into the world at the beginning of World War II. Though he grew up during those bleak years, his earliest memory was when his father let him honk the car horn on V-E Day. His father Albert was a Neighborhood Warden, his mother Claire a Bookkeeper during the war.

When Michael was eight years old, the family relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Clifton, New Jersey, and he and his sister Roberta spent the rest of their childhoods there. The family was active in the Clifton Jewish Center.

At the tender age of 17, Michael decided to join the Marine Corps! He spent five years serving on aircraft carriers in artillery. He lived in Philadelphia for a time, attending Temple University and majoring in Physics and Engineering. He worked as a mechanical engineer and in sales for a fine tool manufacturing company.

During his school and Marines years, he experienced bigotry and anti-Semitism. He had always been proud and forthright about his cultural background, but, as he put it: "I didn't want that to be the FIRST thing people knew upon meeting me." Therefore, he changed his last name after leaving the Marines to one that reflected that of his Russian-Jewish family, but "Americanized".

With his former wife, Donna, he had his two remarkable children Heather and Jeff. Later, he lived in upstate, New York while he explored spirituality, a seeking that informed the rest of his life. He moved alone to California to study more, and shared Heather and Jeff's care with Donna who remained on the East Coast.

He loved the outdoors and went to Jump School - and jumped out of planes! He engaged in rock climbing, biking and hiking and took a solo hiking trip through the mountains of Peru, where he was on a personal spiritual quest.

Later, he worked as a sales manager in Marin County, California, where he met his wife, Linda. When the two moved to Arizona, they both became office managers for a time, before Michael retired.

He spent his retirement years working on many projects with Linda, and on his own, including Graphic Designer for several non-profits, and A/V specialist for a science lecture series.

His family includes his dear wife, Linda, his daughter Heather Skoda (spouse: Ron Skoda,) his son Jeff Kayden (spouse: Erika Kayden,) grandchildren Reis MacCarthy, Sydney, Sage, and Raegan Kayden, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and several cousins.

His parents Albert and Claire Katzenstein and his sister Roberta Mangel predeceased him.

Michael had a well-lived life. His Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's Disease were probably present long before diagnosis, and informed many of his decisions and capabilities.

A simple memorial service will be announced at a later date. His remains will be interred at Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Marana, Arizona. Should you be inclined, memorial gifts to the Lewy Body Dementia Association at https://lbda.org/, Fellowship Square Tucson at https://www.fellowshipsquareseniorliving.org/campus/az/tucson/donate/ or the Institute of Noetic Sciences at https://noetic.org would be appreciated.