Mike’s wife Peggy told me a few days ago that Mike’s biggest regret was not completing his college degree. But If anyone in this room saw Mike in action- training Massachusetts State Police Detectives in the technical aspects of undercover digital photography, teaching CSI and forensics for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, creating the first forensic unit for  District Attorney Paul Walsh, coordinating a video conferencing program for the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, or testifying in court as a national forensic expert representing the company he created, MWV Multi-Media Forensic Investigative Services, you, like me, might respond to Peggy as I did. “Really?”

 

But the truth is, Mike cherished education. A self-taught computer analyst, he stumbled upon that career at the age of 25 after a diagnosis of a rare blood disorder, Hypereosinophilia. Unable to work, the internet became his classroom. And what a voracious student Mike was. Those of us who knew and loved him may have chosen a more colorful word to describe his irrepressible drive to figure things out, especially at 10:00 at night when he’d been at your house working on your desktop computer for four hours straight.

 

But Mike never gave up. His insatiable quest for knowledge ultimately gave him the information and the strength he needed to conquer his disease for 30 years. It also inspired him to raise funds and vigorously advocate for medical research.  So driven was he to engage others in his love of learning, he found his way into classrooms at both Durfee and Dartmouth High School, inspiring many young minds to explore the field of forensics.

 

Mike said it best when he was named Standard Times Fairhaven Man of the Year in 2002, “I wouldn’t change anything about my life or my disease. You’ve got to keep that fight. You’ve got to keep that fire. And the best feeling anybody can get is helping others.”

 

Today, the Michael Verronneau Memorial Scholarship is doing just that for 3 very deserving students.

 

So, if you’re listening, Mike, and knowing you, I’m sure you are, you may never have “completed college.” But now, because of you, the three recipients of your scholarship will do just that.