Michael Raymond Docka

 June 3rd,1953 - March 5th, 2020

Michael Raymond Docka died from complications due to esophageal cancer at Alexian Brothers Hospice in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.  He was born on June 3rd, 1953 at Elmhurst Hospital to Paul Charles and Clara (Tegtmeier) Docka.  

Mike was excellent in academics in every school he attended:  Trinity Lutheran School (Roselle, IL); Concordia Seminary (Milwaukee, WI) where he studied Theology and Latin;  Lake Park High School (Roselle); Blackburn College (Carlinville, Illinois) on full scholarship for Pre-Law;  the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle as a Computer Science major; and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside majoring in English Composition.  At Concordia he was at the top of his class.  In sports, he placed in-state for swimming and diving, and was quarterback of the football team at Blackburn. 

 Mike won the heart of Julie Ann (True), and they were married at Saint Thomas Catholic Church in Palatine, IL on September 3rd, 1977. They were married for forty-two years.

Mike was a writer at heart.  As a staff member of an underground Chicago newspaper, he listened to returning veterans, realized the Vietnam war was being misrepresented in the media, and contributed articles to tell the truth about the war.  At the 1968 Democratic National Convention,  he was denied entry despite carrying a valid press pass.  Outside, he witnessed the chaos and violence in the streets which heavily influenced his future writing.  Many years later,  his journalistic efforts to disseminate accurate information about the war to the public earned him recognition and praise from an Air Force Colonel speaking at his brother's retirement ceremony.  

Mike learned the building trade from his father, and apprenticed through the local union. He became a reputable installation manager for several companies (Acorn and Pacesetter, in IL, to name a few) before starting his own small home improvement business.

In 1989 Mike developed Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura,  an extremely rare and life-threatening blood disorder, as a result of an overactive immune system response to bee venom.  After three surgeries at Kenosha Hospital, he was finally given the correct diagnosis.  From there he was flown by Flight- For- Life Helicopter to Intensive Care at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, where they performed a life-saving new blood treatment called Plasma Pheresis three times. After careful monitoring and some initial healing he was released in a month. As a result, he was  left painfully crippled for the rest of his life, and his doctors predicted his life expectancy would be shortened by twenty years.

From there, he returned to college and wrote articles while on the staff of the UW Parkside Ranger News. His biography,  A Child of the '50's,  and some Science Fiction short stories he wrote are still being edited, and Dorian Grey Publishing is awaiting the final drafts.

Mike  loved Chicago sports ( especially the Whitesox, Bears, and Bulls ), Science Fiction literature, and loved music ( especially the Blues, John Hyatt, Bonnie Raitt, the Traveling Wilburys. ) He made friends wherever he went, and was a  loyal friend who would give “the shirt off his back” to  help.

 Mike is survived by his wife, Julie, his children Keith, Eric, Jacqueline, and Dr. Danielle Docka-Filipek (Jason), grandchildren Jessamine and Arlo Filipek, brother Paul (Mary), sister Janet, and many loving nieces and nephews.

He chose cremation, and most of his ashes were interred at Oak Hill Cemetery, Minneapolis. Covid prevented the “Irish Wake” that Mike had envisioned, where memories could be shared among his many friends and family. However, we can still raise a toast to him. Send a remembrance story, thought, or picture to share with his family, if you wish. He would have liked that. Perhaps this would help me heal my heart as well. Thank you.

Send to: juliedocka@gmail.com

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