About

Michael Philip Short was born December 9, 1955 to Philip Graham Short and Frances Mary McInerny. He was their third child and first son. Michael was born in Penn Yann, New York and moved to Hilton, New York when he was 9 years old and there he grew up with his brother Neil and sisters Maureen, Liz, Eileen and Christie.

Michael graduated from Hilton High School in Hilton, NY in 1974. In high school he ran Cross Country, participated in plays, among other things. He was an altar boy at the local Catholic church where he made several of his closest friends.

Michael met the love of his life, his wife of almost 43 years, Julie in California. They were married May 24, 1980 at a small church in Carver, Oregon with a celebration at Julie’s grandmother’s house in Gladstone, Oregon. Mount Saint Helens had erupted only days earlier, and Michael always said it was part of the celebration. They settled into married life, moving between Oregon and California and had three children- Jessica (Jessie), Kelly, and Graham.

Michael passed away at the age of 67 on May 19th, 2023 in Castle Rock, CO where he was moving with his son Graham to be with wife, and near his daughter Kelly and her young children.

Michael is predeceased by his father Philip, mother Frances, stepfather Al Melfi, father-in-law Walter (Wally) Hornych, mother-in-law Lois, three brothers-in-law Tony, Shawn and Terry, and nephew James (Jamie). He is survived by his wife, Julie Short, his daughter Jessica (Jessie) Thacker and her husband Drew, their two sons Wesley and Caden, his daughter Kelly Kurpanek and her husband Andrew, her son Brock, her two daughters Kylee and Morgan, his son Graham, his sister Maureen Biggers and her daughter Brittany, his sister Elizabeth (Liz) Lee and her son Eddie and her daughter Melissa, his brother Neil, his sons Kevin and Bryan, and Neil’s granddaughter Makenzie, his sister Eileen Brawner and her son Joseph (Joey), his sister Christine (Christie) Vaccaro and her son Nicholas (Nick) and his wife Colleen and their two sons Anthony and Nicholas, her son Andrew (Andy) and his wife Katie and their son Lucas and daughter Audrey, and her daughter Rachel Danforth, her husband Colby, her daughter Madison and son Lincoln, brother-in-law Kevin Hornych and his wife Sylvia, brother-in-law Jeff Hornych, and sister-in-law Michele Stevens and her husband Michael.