Michael Sturgill Obituary 

Michael Eugene Sturgill
Born: Dec. 28, 1954
Died: Oct. 15, 2019

Michael Eugene Sturgill, 64, passed away to be in peace with the Lord on October 15, 2019.

Michael always wanted a family. He was a wonderful man and great husband to Milena Sukovic, who did all she could do to help him. He did all he could to help and protect his family. He had 6 children; 5 biological: Ryan Sturgill, Eric Sturgill, Kyra Sturgill, Stella Sturgill, Haley Sturgill; and 1 through marriage and love, Aleksandra Dabic. He loved all of his children unconditionally. Michael was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho to a loving Mormon family who taught him strong moral and hard-working family values. He was not a strict believer in the church, but he respected all moral religions and he did believe in Christian values, which he hoped to pass on. 

Michael leaves his father Eugene Sturgill whose earnest nature he inhereted, brother Jerry Sturgill, brother David Sturgill, brother Robert Sturgill, sister Kelly Price, and sister Julie Sturgill to join their mother Beverly Sturgill, whose love for the theater and arts he inherited, in peace. His mother led a child theater group to a national win and Michael was sometimes her leading little man. She was raised in the Crowley family, who he loved dearly. In his last seven years he appreciated the love and welcome he received from the Sukovic family. Michael was welcoming of other cultures, which he learned through his missionary work. He was an ordained minister.  Michael had a huge heart. He had great friends and colleagues who knew him well. He appreciated what they had done for him, especially in the later years: Andrew Fleming Esq, Robert Erickson MD, and Miles Sukovic Esq. 

There are many amazing things about Michael.  He was a man's man and a gentleman. As a young child, Michael was adventurous and loved the large open spaces of the outdoors, especially the Salmon River, which he was the first to chart for river rafting. He loved river rafting so much he was a river guide for about ten years. He grew up working hard on the family farm, which made him unbelievably naturally strong.  He laid irrigation pipe and dug out his family's emergency shelter. He was a natural leader. Michael was so popular growing up that he was voted senior class president. He was a quarterback of his football team and also did well in track and field and diving. He received a football scholarship at Brigham Young University (BYU), but instead decided to study to become a neurologist and later also became a neurosurgeon.  While Michael worked hard to achieve his successes, he realized God had given him much. He knew that to those God had given much, much was expected. It is why he was so humble. 

He was a highly respected emergency neurosurgeon at Chicago’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Chicago summers kept him extremely busy to where he hardly slept through the night. He was a caring surgeon. When a cardiac surgeon, who worked at the same hospital as he did, Mount Sinai, needed emergency neurosurgery, though it was Michael’s weekend with his kids, and so he was not on-call, his colleagues begged him to stay late that Friday and do the surgery. He did and the doctor had a full recovery. Milena also recalls her and Michael running into the Luzano family. Their mother was one of Michael's patients. The beautiful Luzano family explained to Milena how no other surgeon told them their mother had a chance to live, except Michael. He performed the surgery and their mother recovered. They were so appreciative they bought him gifts including a blue Gucci tie. He had no idea what Gucci was, but he loved to wear the tie as it made him feel very appreciated for being great at what he loved to do, help people.  He was an actual hero, not a Hollywood hero.

He was such a highly respected neurosurgeon that he was asked to be an expert witness on the topic of neurosurgery (brain/spine) surgery at trials.

He was a great loving man who believed in Jesus Christ. Tragically, he died of suicide. He suffered deeply from parental alienation. For a copy of evidence and the expert report, which explains what Michael was going through and which was prepared by the nation's top expert on parental alienation, Dr. Amy J. Baker Ph. D., please email Milena at msmilena.sukovic@gmail.com. The family law system did not take it seriously. I hope Michael's suicide can be a lesson, so no one else has to suffer as he did. He was a great man. He was too good for this world.

Milena is holding a memorial service for Michael on Sunday December 8, 2019 at 4pm at St Basil Serbian Orthodox Church at 27450 N Bradley Rd, Mettawa, IL 60045 where he was always welcomed by V. Rev. Fr. Djuro Krosnjar and the members. Please share kind words of Michael with us.

See also: https://www.legacy.com/obitua…

Michael Sturgill MD neurosurgeon Obituary

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