Dr. Michael (“Mike”) Bandy, D.C., died peacefully in his sleep at home in Austin on the morning of February 2. He was 66 years young.

Mike is survived--and will forever be cherished by—his beloved “girls”: his wife of almost 32 years, Dr. Marylou Bandy, D.C., and his daughter, Isabella (“Bella”) Louise Bandy, both of Austin. Mike is also survived by his brothers, John and Paul Bandy, of Austin and Aztec, NM, respectively; his cousin, Andrew Fitzhugh, of Dallas; many cousins and relatives; and a bounty of admiring friends and appreciative patients.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents: Virginia Greene Bandy and Lieutenant Colonel Paul V. Bandy (U.S. Army), of Dallas; and his cousin, Victoria (“Vicky”) Middleton, of Dallas.

Mike was born on May 7, 1959, in Shreveport, Louisiana. A few years after his birth, the Bandy family moved to Dallas, where Mike remained until graduating from W.T. High School in 1977. While growing up in Dallas, Mike excelled at multiple sports, namely golf. When he wasn’t caddying at Brookhaven Country Club, he was practicing on its courses and driving range. Mike’s skills were such that the University of Texas (UT) invited him to join their men’s golf team upon his matriculation there for his freshman year of college.

Mike attended UT for one year before moving back to Dallas to help care for an ailing relative—a not unsurprising move for a young man who would eventually dedicate his life to caring for the health of others. He enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where he resumed his studies and pledged Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The bonds and friendships Mike established with his UTA Phi Delt brothers lasted throughout his life.

At some point during his young adulthood, Mike discovered cycling and, in the words of one of his fellow Phi Delts, “took it to the max.” Endowed with NFL-caliber thighs, Mike embarked on numerous extended bike treks through the Lone Star State. Mike’s love of riding the open road under big skies even inspired him to move to that place which legions of Texans openly revere and unapologetically infiltrate: Colorado. While living and working near Crested Butte, Mike got his “Rocky Mountain High” by road cycling and mountain biking to and through wherever those powerful thighs could pedal him. At the end of many a ride, he relaxed by rehashing the day’s adventures with other outdoor enthusiasts. By all accounts, Mike’s Colorado days were some of the happiest and most carefree of his life.

Inspired and encouraged by his brother, John, a chiropractic doctor with a growing practice in Austin, Mike returned to Texas to study chiropractic medicine at Parker College of Chiropractic (now Parker University) in Dallas. While at Parker, he began dating a classmate from New Jersey named Marylou Cerullo who he affectionately called “Lou Lou.” Just as Marylou predicted (to herself), Mike became her husband in 1994. The same year, incidentally, they both received their Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degrees. Marylou and Mike moved to Austin not too long afterwards, where Mike joined John’s group practice for a few years before starting his own independent practice. On January 24, 2003, their daughter, Bella, was born.

Mike was a chiropractic doctor of the keenest intelligence and highest integrity, trusted and beloved by his patients and rightly held in high regard by his colleagues. Whether you were an “ordinary” person or a world-class athlete, Mike’s extraordinary dedication to his patients went above and beyond above-and-beyond. His brilliant scientific mind and staggering breadth of knowledge enabled him to effectively help individuals with a wide range of illnesses and injuries, especially those who suffered from neurological conditions or who had suffered strokes. For many years, UT Athletics entrusted Mike to help their student-athletes achieve optimal levels of performance and recover more quickly from the rigors of competition. Mike’s calm demeanor, sincere empathy, and gentle encouragement were the “soft skills” he used in conjunction with his clinical acumen and abilities to propel his patients forward on the path to sustained wellness. Mike also had a “secret weapon”--his deliciously irreverent sense of humor—which he used to stimulate his patients’ most powerful inner-healing force: laughter. Of all the techniques and therapies at his command, the “make ‘em laugh” approach was the one Mike applied most consistently to “help the medicine go down” most efficaciously.

As magnificent a doctor as he was, Mike Bandy was an even more magnificent human being. He was a caring and supportive husband to Marylou. He was an affectionate and devoted dad to Bella. Marylou and Bella—his “girls”—formed the center of his world, and Mike routinely delighted in displaying his unwavering love for them via the twin “love languages” of kidding and teasing. Mike was a loyal and wise friend; the kind with whom you could talk about anything—anytime, anywhere—or in whose presence you were at ease saying nothing at all. His sensitivity to pain and suffering inclined him to extend concern and compassion to others. Kindness flowed from Mike like nectar from a flower, and goodness was the “stuff” with which the Good Lord blessedly overstuffed him. When you were around Mike, that goodness tenderly rubbed off on you. When Mike let loose with that hearty, contagious laugh of his, that goodness rained down on you, refreshed you, and restored your faith in the Universe and humanity’s vital role in it. And put a big, old smile on your face.

Mike truly touched all who knew him, either literally or personally. Likely both. No matter how you knew him, be thankful; be good and kind, like he was; and please take a moment to reflect on this question he playfully posed to a friend during a brief stop from a bike ride several summer evenings ago:

“Since life is so short, why take it so seriously?”

We love you, Mike. Ride on, Mike. 

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/michael-bandy/obituary/

Copy