Mike Hampton was the kind of guy who could sit next to anyone in the world, set them at ease, find common ground and have a great conversation.

Mike passed away on February 20th, 2025 at the young age of 61, after 37 months of living with bulbar ALS. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth, their kids Finn and Davis, mother Marge Hampton, brothers Steve (Jamie) and Chris (Ann Mary) Hampton, brother-in-law Jeff (Naoko Wagner) Marsh, mother-in-law Martha Day, and his beloved niece, nephews, cousins, friends, and family too numerous to list, and never far from our mind. Mike was predeceased by his father, Lt Col. John Arthur Hampton.

EARLY YEARS

Mike was born John Michael Hampton to Marjorie Owen Hampton and Lt. Col. John Arthur Hampton in Scottsdale, Arizona on Mothers Day 1963. As an Air Force kid, he moved multiple times throughout his childhood, growing up in Arizona, Japan, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Alabama and finally Alaska. As the youngest of three, he looked up to his beloved brothers Steve and Chris (and his brother-like cousin, Don), with any time together experienced as a cacophony of deep voices, laughter, awesome music, good-natured goofiness and great conversation.

In 1981, Mike graduated from Bartlett High School in Anchorage. After his first year of undergrad at University of Washington, he moved closer to home to finish his Bachelor’s in Biology at University of Alaska, Fairbanks. His life was full of great stories. One classic is when Mike veered into a snowbank off the highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks during a snowstorm while inspecting the color of his multilayered jawbreaker. He was a man of simple pleasures, longstanding friendships and a playful spirit.

BELLINGHAMPTON'S BEGINNINGS

Mike ultimately went to PT school at the University of Southern California and his first job was at the Seattle VA where he started hanging out with a fellow PT, Elizabeth. After a long friendship, they decided to date, and the rest is history. He was fun, grounding and adored her. Their 31-year marriage was a beautiful, human, and loving partnership where they found something to laugh at or be silly about nearly every day. They were each others’ #1 fan, standing by each other, always.

In 1995, Mike and Elizabeth were told that they had had a miscarriage, and they went out for Mexican food to honor the spirit of the lost little one, only to find out a week later that the bun was still cookin’. In November 1995 they welcomed their beautiful son, Davis, born at their home in Seattle.

Mike, Elizabeth and Davis moved to Bellingham in 1997 and immediately knew they were home. On Y2K, their beautiful miracle baby Finn was the last baby born in Whatcom County in the 20th Century, completing their Bellinghampton family.  It has been the honor and joy of their lives to be parents to Davis and Finn.

Seeing the person you love, loving your kids, and your kids loving them, is one of the greatest joys as a partner and a parent. Words cannot describe how much Mike absolutely loved being a dad, and sharing experiences with the kids and their family. The first year after his ALS diagnosis was renamed, “Adventure Time”, and Mike and Elizabeth had many special trips with both Finn and Davis, as well as close friends and family, to make the most of the time Mike was mobile. Each diem was carpe’d, they covered thousands of miles, and made so many memories.

Mike's easy-going nature, welcoming demeanor and quick wit were magnetic. He had a way of listening with curiosity and truly making you feel heard. He was a skilled communicator regardless of whether the stakes were high or low. He hated to miss out on fun, loved to spend time with his family and friends and was damn funny.  He was a loyal and steadfast friend, with close friendships throughout his lifetime because he showed up for people in a meaningful way. A community of caring friends and family really showed up for him during these past 2 years,  which is a tribute to Mike and how many people care about him and his family.

HOBBIES, PLAY & COMMUNITY

Mike was absolutely wicked at word games, from the New York Times’ dailies to Words with Friends, where he specialized in high point count, rando two letter words. He played games of one sort or another every day. Cribbage was a favorite, and Mike would let you know about missed points, because he was that kind of guy.  (Unless he was playing cutthroat crib, then every person for themselves). :)

Mike ran 3-4 miles every workday lunch time for years. “I just am not into group fitness,” said Mike. When he finally agreed to an intro class at CrossFit X and had difficulty sitting down for the next week because of muscle soreness, he was absolutely outraged that step ups and lunges could kick his ass despite running regularly. Long story short, since 2009 CrossFit X has been his workout habit, playground and community. Mike never complained, unless thrusters were part of the workout, and even then his complaining was comical. When he could no longer do the workouts due to ALS, his community of CrossFit friends continued to support him with regular home visits, outings and even a tribute workout that raised over $3000 for ALS Research at University of Washington.

Music was a huge part of Mike's life. Whether singing, listening to an incredible range of music (especially prog rock), playing the guitar, singing with Finn, watching Davis and Finn perform, or sharing his latest new musical discovery, there was a constant soundtrack playing. From old Genesis, Pink Floyd and Dan Fogelberg, to Radiohead, Wilco and Grandaddy, Mike had an extraordinary amount of knowledge and deep appreciation for the art and science of music.

WORK LIFE

Due to ALS progression, Mike prematurely concluded his 36 year PT career in April 2023 after working 25 years at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center as Director of Rehab Services, among others. When we reached out to friends and colleagues to write letters about things they appreciated about Mike, over 40 notes arrived in the mail. It was a joy for both Mike and his family to read fantastic stories about his colleagues’ experience of him, and the impact he had. Colleagues described him as a thoughtful advocate, skilled leader and excellent listener, who wisely guided folks through uncertain times. He was described as a kind, funny, compassionate and loving human being who was an advocate for his staff, and their education to serve special populations with advanced clinical expertise. Mike was a humble master of making people feel at ease, building consensus and identifying next steps. Deepest thanks to Sylvie, Krista, Jessica, Carol, Chuck, Bev, Sanjay, Kevin, Jack, Linda, Susan, Shawn and many others who were trusted colleagues and friends to Mike throughout his career as well as during his illness.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Receiving the diagnosis of bulbar ALS is devastating. There is no cure, and as PTs, we knew what the future held. Mike approached his ALS diagnosis with the intensity and focus of the athlete he was. He did not choose bulbar ALS, but he was intentional in how he selected his mindset in response to it.  To be clear, the sadness and grief were profound throughout his ALS chapter, with tears shed multiple times daily.  And emotions are like weather, in that even the toughest ones pass, and on the other side of that pain and sorrow was a moment to make the most of. Although Mike was realistic, his glass was always half full, no matter how hard things got. He maintained his tenderness, work ethic, humor and deep care for his family to the very end.

His choice to decide how to face the rest of his life after his diagnosis was absolutely extraordinary.

GRATITUDE

It’s hard for folks to know what to say, or what to do in the face of a terminal illness. And we are deeply grateful to dear family and friends who showed up for us in different ways during this journey.  You know who you are, and we are forever grateful for the way you showed up for us during Mike's illness, and continue to do so in the long after.  Please forgive unintentional oversights, and know that our hearts will never forget the kindness of so many caring people.

Deepest gratitude to our amazing kids, Davis and Finn, who cared for Mike with gentleness and humor throughout his illness.   The two of you cared so well for him. It filled our hearts with gratitude to witness your gentleness, love and service to him. Thank you to Jamie and Steve, Marge, Chris and Ann, Jeff and Naoko for family visits, stocking food in the freezer and helping create order and beauty around the house when our hearts were heavy.  

From the get-go, Maria, Brian and Gabby brought friendship, organization, get aways and home repair when we didn't know what we needed.  They fed us wonderful meals, did projects, cleaned and made us laugh. Paul and Kerri took us (and our grief) on trips, and hung out just as before, to remember that all available life needed to be lived fully. Gerardo, Ingrid, Mike, Lila, Jeff, Lisa, and Loren came over for Thursday Stemma beverage nights, and to Gerardo who provided hand and foot massages for Mike when moving was really difficult. To Matt, whose multiple visits and building skills made all the difference in Mike’s every day for all of his days. To Andy, whose visits along with Matt provided hours of companionship, conversation, pinball tournaments and laughter. To our VA Angels, Celia Pechak and Jeff Bourke, Maria Zanoni, Candace Rich and Laura Salem, who paid for months of housecleaning and scheduled multiple visits to help us; thank you for seeing what we needed even when we could not.  

To our Stemma friends Zach, Lindsey, Kyle and others, who made us feel welcome and always asked about Mike especially during that last tough year. Deepest thanks to Greta and Chuckanut Builders, Michelle Banks, Patricia Lenssen and Mark Lawrence who helped make our home welcoming, beautiful and wheelchair accessible. Deepest thanks to the CorePhysio team, especially Janis, for extraordinary kindness, caring, skill and support, including absorbing workflows, during this journey.  Thank you for allowing me to be a fully human colleague.

Thank you to the exceptional Jen Brooke RT, Dr Michael Weiss, Wen Pei Ridenour, Dr. Jody Waldron, Dr. Hugo Carmona, the ALS Association and the UW ALS team whose care and access to research no doubt improved and extended Mike's quality of life.   Shawna, your massage work brought comfort to Mike during this hardworking journey. Jeremy, you are a renaissance man with incredible medical as well as intuitive skills who grounded Mike with thought provoking discussions, and impactful craniosacral work.

Thank you to the leadership and members of Pershing Army Band who supported Davis to be here to care for Mike in 2024, and to the faculty of Digipen who supported Finn's success at school while they were carrying this sorrow.

Lastly, on behalf of Mike and our family, we share our deepest gratitude to our beloved Davis and Finn, as well as Jeff Marsh, Maria Nasralla, Maria Holmes, Joy Castro-Wehr, Janet; and Kevin, Simer, Amy, Elsie and Pam from Hospice, who all showed up for us all to bring love and comfort during the final month in the darkest times of our lives.  And to those who recognize Mike's passing as the beginning of a new, unmoored chapter of our lives, we are grateful for your outreach to be present, reach out, and weave us back into your worlds.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

Mike’s Celebration of Life will be held on August 9th, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Chuckanut Bay Distillery at 1311 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225. Please save the date and RSVP on this website. Please fill the room to show Mike's family that he is remembered and loved!

IMPACT = REMEMBERING MIKE + AN ACTION STEP

Your tax deductible donation specifically to UW ALS research ( https://give.uwmedicine.org/give-now/?source=FND-151704&appeal=APL-21426)  is deeply appreciated. Consider giving regularly to give those with ALS hope in the face of this devastating disease. 

RSVP for his celebration of life.  

In memory of Mike, choose your mindset, make regular time for friends, playfulness and laughter, and be a loyal friend to others.  

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