Michael Wyatt, 26

Michael Nathanael Wyatt, 26, passed from this present life to his eternal life on Dec. 21, 2014.

Michael was the third of four children, the favorite second son, of James W. and Yvette R. Wyatt. He was born June 26, 1988, in McMinnville, Ore., and moved with his family to Coeur d'Alene in 1990. He attended Winton Elementary School, Lakes Middle School, and graduated from Lake City High School in 2006. His love of cooking and food creation led him to complete the Culinary Arts Program at North Idaho College in 2008.

As a junior at University of Wyoming, Michael was an honor roll student studying chemical engineering, wanting to impact the future through alternative energy. He was passionate both about protecting and enjoying the natural world. His compulsion to recycle began in fifth grade as he was given the title of 'Recycle Michael' for using the same paper lunch bag for more than 50 days.

Growing up in north Idaho, Michael took advantage of all the area has to offer in outdoor adventure - he loved to snowboard, skateboard, longboard, wakeboard, swim, camp, and was a fabulous soccer player, always ready to sacrifice body parts as necessary. He began rock climbing with his family at 3 years old - bouldering on Tubbs Hills. Over the past four years, he had been developing his crack climbing skills in the Vedauwoo Mountain area of Wyoming and Colorado and had taken up learning to play his awesome Ibanez electric guitar.

Michael was preceded in death by his Oma, Johanna Charlotte Luise Watts; grandmother Faith Ellen Wyatt; and great-grandparents, Ralph and Dorothy Earle and Ralph and Blanche Wyatt.

He is deeply missed and remembered in love by his parents; sisters Luise E. Wyatt and Emily R. Thompson; big brother David J. Wyatt; and brother-in-law Caleb Thompson; grandfather James W. Wyatt (Jill) and David L. Watts (Hilda Curtis); maternal aunts Edith B. Keeley, Gudrun Smith and Sophie Michelson (Rich); paternal aunt Jonni Paulsen (Harold); and paternal uncles Lee A. Wyatt (Dena), Jason Paterson and Robert Paterson and their families. In addition to Misty Heil and her sons, Kelton and Maxwell, there are many more family and friends who cared for him and that he was blessed to have in his life.

The memorial service celebrating Michael's life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29, at First Presbyterian Church, 512 Lakeside, Coeur d'Alene, where Michael was baptized.

Yates Funeral Home, Coeur d'Alene, is in care of the arrangements. You may visit Michael's online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.