Michael Byrne Cate

Michael Byrne Cate, 69, died on September 29, 2021, in Vallejo, California, after a month-long battle with Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder.

Michael was born on November 7, 1951, to Mary and Edward Cate of Tulare, California. He was the fourth of eight children, “the cutest of the Cate boys by far,” and most would agree, his mother’s favorite. He attended St. Aloysius Parochial School in Tulare through eighth grade and graduated from high school at Maryknoll Seminary in Los Altos, California. He attended the University of California at Santa Barbara before graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in English.

Michael was a principal administrative analyst in the Information Resources and Computing Division for the UC Office of the President where he managed student data systems before taking a job in 2000 at the UC Riverside campus in the Office of Institutional Planning and Research. He was beloved by his coworkers.

One day in October 1987, Michael came to Joanne’s desk in the Capital Planning and Budget Office, to teach her how to use a database application. After a few minutes of small talk, they discovered they had much in common. Their courtship quickly followed, and they married on April 15, 1989. Michael described his life with Joanne as marked by “paroxysms of ecstasy.”

Michael and Joanne were world travelers and were well known for Michael’s poetic postcard narratives. The e-postcards were sent to family and friends from places all around the United States, from nearly every country in Europe, from Mexico, Turkey, Singapore, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, and India; and most recently, from Hawaii. They hiked, scuba dived, snorkeled, paddle boarded, strolled through museums, marveled at archaeological sites, pursued gastronomic delights, and took thousands of treasured photos. They made many friends along the way.

Gifted with an unparalleled sense of humor, Michael always made the people around him laugh. He wrote this in the notes he left us for his obituary: “Loved (my) life. Bummed to be dead.”

For Michael, the Golden Rule was a reality he lived every day. This was his motto: “Recognize and respect the inherent dignity of every person on earth. Period. Everyone. Friend, Foe, Foreign, or Familiar.” Michael’s Christianity was centered around love of God and his neighbors which he practiced without hypocrisy or hesitation.

Michael wore the sandals of a hippie in the sixties, business suits in his work life, and went barefoot or slipped on Crocs in retirement. “I smiled and laughed in unfair measure – cried and despaired too often and miserably – but overwhelmingly was ecstatically happy in my life.”

Michael is survived by his wife, Joanne; brothers Kevin (Kathy), Tim (Sue), Sean (Janet), and Matthew Cate; sisters Kathleen Roselli (Robert), Patricia Madden, and Maureen Caballero (Wayne); and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

A private service will be held for close family and friends.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please consider making a donation in Michael’s memory to one or

more of the following charitable organizations:

1. American Red Cross < https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/>

American Red Cross

PO Box 37839

Boone, IA 50037-0839

The American Red Cross provided over 125 units of plasma and blood to Michael during his treatment.

2. APS Foundation of America < http://apsfa.org/donate/>

The APS Foundation of America, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health agency founded in 2005, and is

dedicated to bringing national awareness to Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS), the major

cause of multiple miscarriages, thrombosis, young strokes and heart attacks.

APS Foundation of America, Inc.

P.O. Box 801

LaCrosse, WI 54602-0801

3. Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers - <https://maryknollsociety.org/how-support/>

Are a Catholic Society of missionary priests and brothers who, for over 100 years, have modeled themselves after the compassion and love of Jesus Christ in reaching out to those in the world who are most in need. Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers P.O. Box 302 Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302

4. The W.O. Smith Music School - <https://www.wosmith.org/donate/>

Makes affordable, quality music instruction available to children from low-income families. They transform lives through music. Tax-deductible donations may be sent to: W.O. Smith Music School P.O. Box 121348 Nashville, TN 37212-1348

The following transcript is a series of random thoughts and quotes Michael jotted down over the years that were found in a file marked ‘Michael’s obituary notes.’ We believe he intended for these notes to be shared with his family and friends.

My Astonishingly Happy Life.

A mark of my great good fortune (was) to have met some of the most marvelous, wise, witty, kind, loving, smart, (and) talented people on the planet. An immeasurable debt is owed to them all. Their friendship and love is really who I was, who I became, and who I ended up being.

Lightness of hand and deftness of foot. To dance past difficulties you encounter. Tried never to take life or myself too seriously.

Loved reading and didn’t read nearly enough.

He was widely read in English Lit. I more narrowly read.

Millions of songs – I still love I was on the planet to hear them first.

You might be a Sinner,

You might be a Saint,

But Sometimes You Are,

And Sometimes You Ain’t.

What one thing changes the world? Answer: Culture.

Forgiveness is the highest humanity.