Michael Scott Braithwaite, born in Ridgecrest, California to Moyle and Dianne Braithwaite October 17, 1964, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2025 primarily from complications of long term Lyme Disease. Despite recurring painful symptoms, with the assistance of various doctors he was able to pursue a career as a civil engineer for electric public utilities, designing and over-seeing the construction of power stations. From there, he moved on to designing power distribution over long distances. His last assignment was delivery of power to a huge AI complex being built in Las Vegas, Nevada. The requirements for that was far larger than personnel available to meet the demand. The stress was the final straw to his faltering immune system.

As he resolutely vowed when he was just a boy, his life proved that he was not a quitter. Even in the very last months of his life when pain was unbearable for much of each day, he pursued the idea of a Reconnection Festival where he and other people who grew up in the Ridgecrest area during the happier years of the 60’s 70’s and 80’s could see each other again and re-establish their connections. The idea formed as he realized he had created an enormous data base on his computer during the process of saying good-bye to his many friends, who, in turn, inquired if he could obtain contact information about those they lost touch with over the years. This surprisingly resulted in an exponential explosion of data. A website was created of people who wanted to be found by former friends but which also allowed the choice to deny any unwanted requests. A creatively talented and supportive person who read about his project on Facebook volunteered to spearhead committees to add additional artistic and interesting features to the event. They collaborated daily from then on until his project became reality on November 8, 2025. It was experienced as visually beautiful, emotionally exciting and healing of many family and friendships that had been cut off for various reasons over time. As requested, there were no political references worn as clothing. Just Americans hugging Americans!!! Mike lived long enough to attend himself that day, thanks to a friend who drove him to Ridgecrest from Nevada and all the way back in the same day. Buoyed by his determination and the excitement of being there gave him the strength to participate as planned.

Growing up, baseball was a major part of his life. Music gave him joy in many ways—from school, records of classical and current ballads often on a turnstile at home, to the more modern sounds of electric guitars and soft rock. He found a violin in the attic that once belonged to his grandmother, signed up for lessons at school in the 7th grade, and was playing it in the school orchestra before 9th grade. In high school his focus switched to wrestling – his goal being to become tough enough to handle whatever life might be waiting for him as a young man. Family ski and hiking trips to Mammoth were favorite activities and he was a member of the voluntary ski patrol at Shirley Meadows in the nearby Greenhorn Mountains.

While earning his degree in Marketing at San Diego State, Mike became acquainted with various newly current or future stars in the world of contemporary music. He dreamed of writing music himself someday at that time. He was friends with and a roommate of a future star. Still focused on completing his college education though, he took a potentially dangerous night time job that paid relatively well and provided periods of time when he could study. This allowed him to afford to attend workshops in Los Angeles organized by recording companies-- used as opportunities to spot new talent. At these events he became friends with people who went on to play in nationally popular bands. After earning his second degree at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, he chose engineering as his vocation and music as his avocation. He set up his own recording studio equipped with several keyboards and guitars in a spare room and established an online presence. This endeavor was interrupted by the appearance of painful Lyme Disease symptoms that went undiagnosed too long by many doctors he consulted here in the Western part of the country. By the time he was diagnosed by a doctor in New York, it was too entrenched for successful antibiotic treatment. From that point on, life became a challenge, limiting his choice of lifestyle such as having a family (which he had so much wanted.) He partially compensated for that by rescuing injured or abandoned kittens and cats and nursing them back to health. With no family legacy to leave behind, he was thrilled to realize that the data base he created could be used to achieve a different sort of human legacy via making the idea of a Reconnection Festival a reality.

He was preceded in death by his father, Moyle Braithwaite. He is survived by his mother, Dianne Braithwaite; sister, Suzanne Ama; sister, Kimberly McMillan; close cousin, Eric Davis; Uncle, Bob Davis; Aunt, Sharron Foster and cousins on both sides of the family.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Grace Lutheran Church Saturday, June 20, 2026. A reception will follow. Internment at Mt. Morrison Cemetery near Mammoth Lakes will later take place for family members.