1961

scmintern@scu.edu

Michael Briski J.D. ’61 lived the American Dream. He was born in the coal town of Van Houten, New Mexico, in 1936 to George and Zella Briski. The family moved to Mountain View in the early 1940s when Michael’s father decided that the next mine cave-in might be his last. He attended Mountain View High School and went to UC Berkeley, earning his undergraduate degree in history. It was there that he met the love of his life, Kathryn Bell. They were married on Sept. 7, 1958, and settled in Santa Clara. Michael served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War at a base in Yuma, Arizona, where he ran military justice. After his discharge in 1963, he returned to California and practiced law in the Bay Area for 40 years. With his wife, Kathy, he raised a family in Los Altos, where their backyard held the remnants of several “old valley” apricot trees. In 2002, at the age of 66, Michael retired to Palm Springs, where he and his wife spent the next 13 years enjoying each other’s company. While retirement was great, Michael missed his grandchildren and wanted to enjoy their company. He moved back to Santa Clara in 2015 and enjoyed the next two years watching his grandchildren grow, play sports, celebrate birthdays, and enjoy life. A well-regarded lawyer, he helped many clients attain justice. Though he loved the law, it was his wife and their 58-year marriage that reflected his true love. Michael passed away on July 31, 2017, and will be missed by his family. He is survived by his wife and sister, Zada Hordin, along with his son Kael (53), daughter Mika, (47) daughter-in-law Kay (53), and grandchildren Annika (16), Matthew (15), and Emily (10). He is predeceased by his mother, Zella, and father, George, and dear granddaughter Alexis Joy Briski, who passed in May of 2009 of childhood cancer at 11 years old. 

08 Nov 2018