Honor Mike Seltzer's Legacy at Thousand Oaks

In the fall of 2024, we lost our best friend Mike Seltzer to cancer.

Whether you knew him as Mike, Mikey, Rags, or Colonel Seltzer, Mike led a life in service to others. As a loving father and husband, son and brother, dear friend, or exceptional coworker, pilot, instructor, or leader, Mike will live on in the many lives he touched and the countless ways in which he made everything and—just as importantly—everyone around him better.

While we mourned in the fall and came together for a beautiful ceremony in November, we would like to now celebrate the beautiful life Mikey led by expanding the park at Thousand Oaks, where Mike spent many afternoons playing as a child and then many years later as a parent of North Berkeley. From the earliest age, Mike was obsessed with airplanes, and so it was only fitting that he would later become among the best pilots in the US Air Force. The concept of the park would be to include an airplane climbing structure to inspire the next generation of pilots and dreamers.

First, let me acknowledge how generously many of you gave to Mikey's immediate family in the fall. While the idea for a memorial park or airplane feature had begun to take shape, we rightly wanted to focus on celebrating the life Mike led and the people he impacted then. For those of you who were able to join in November, heard or spoke words about Mikey, wrote on the ForeverMissed web page, felt goosebumps that lasted during the 'lost man' flyover, hugged family and cried tears together remembering him, or donated to Kat and the kids, please know that you have done more than enough.

I do know that Mikey was exceptional as both a pilot and as a human and that his life--captured in a memorial and an airplane climbing structure at a park--has the potential to inspire a new generation of children to a life of service like the one Mikey led.

Logistically, we are working with an architect (Brennan Cox of Groundworks Office) who has generously put together an initial plan and we are working with the City Parks Department and the school and there is real interest in pursuing this. There will be a discussion at the Berkeley City Council in April 2025 and a strong possibility of a significant monetary contribution from the city if we can raise funds in excess of $75,000 in private donations. If for whatever reason we are unable to raise sufficient funds or it becomes clear that a memorial park for Mikey is logistically untenable, we'll donate any funds that are raised to Kat and the kids.

here is the initial plan https://groundworksoffice.egnyte.com/dl/g1nB2WqnSi

Please know that any contribution, no matter how small will help. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you so much for reading this far and for keeping the memory of Mikey in your hearts.