Michael Spence Gilbreath

Mike was an adventurer, traveler, and nature lover.

He spent his younger & college years fishing every river & stream in the 4 county area. As soon as he got his drivers license he hit the road and never stopped.

He loved to spend time in Newton county and be in nature. He took his wife, Shonnie, to the Buffalo river as their first date and from there they explored every trail & bushwacked woods to seek out waterfalls. He truly soaked up life & adventure.

He loved to travel and drive. His profession as a commercial driver for over 25 years suited him- it was in his blood. He was a lover of geography & maps. He amazed his wife as he could drive nearly anywhere in the U.S. without even looking at a map.

Mike loved to vacation. His best times were spent traveling all over the United States or a tropical destination. While he did take his family to the beach every summer, his favorite city was Chicago. He would take Shonnie there every year to shop. Often times they would set out on foot in whatever city they happened to be visiting and it was nothing for him to walk 6-7 miles- just soaking up everything. One of his most favorite trips of all time was a 2 week trip out West to California with his wife. They visited the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Venice beach, Malibu and drove up highway 1 along the coast to Carmel by the sea. Mike recently said that Carmel was his favorite destination- its' beauty really resonated with him.

You wouldn't see Mike in church every Sunday but what you would see is him reveling in all of Gods beauty- that was his church. He was so appreciative of all of Gods creation. Anyone that knew him would say he was so kind with a heart of gold. He was admired & loved for his dedication to his job & his family. In fact, he received many industry awards through Mayflower Inc. He was humble and downplayed this- often not even telling his family.

Mike was an avid Razorback fan. He spent countless hours on the phone with his Dad, brother, or buddies discussing the latest sports news.

He was very proud of his family and he made sure you knew it. There was never anything left unsaid. You knew he loved you. He was willing to do anything for them. In fact, his wife can't recall a time he ever told her "no". It was very evident that they were deeply in love. They spent a wonderful 27 years together.

Michaela, his "babygirl" as he called her. He was so proud of her and would marvel at how beautiful, strong and focused a young women could be. Saying she was much more mature than himself. He put her on a pedestal. He was able to walk her down the aisle this past September- one of the best days of his life. Her favorite memories of him were times spent together as a family on vacations, hikes, or even just at home. She loved laughing with him- he had the best sense of humor and was the funniest person she knew.

Crystal, his oldest daughter, recently shared her favorite memories as a child of hiking & camping as a family. She remarks that he always had the best spots to take us. Mike was very proud of his 4 grandchildren that Crystal & Tyler blessed him with. He respected Tyler's work ethic and was impressed with Crystal's dedication to their little family.

Mike had a special place in his heart for Michaela's husband, Landan. They were so similar that they could have been twins. They shared a love of all things sports and both loved cracking a beer somewhere on the sand. A favorite memory of Landan's was a day that they spent together in Wrigleyville in Chicago. The girls turned them loose on their own- they probably drank a little too much beer & threw a lot of darts. We know Mike is at peace knowing Landan is taking the lead now as head of the family.

Mike had many, many friends. His wife wanted to mention a few very important, close friends:

Brad & Jodi Goss- Mike was able to visit with Brad on his last day. Shonnie mentioned Brad was over to see him and he excitedly said "sit me up!". Brad & Jodi Goss are very special to the family. We have many great memories going to concerts, on vacation, and enjoying meals together.

Jackie Keeney-Jackie is Shonnie's lifelong friend but also became best friends with "Mr. Mike", as she called him. Mike was amused at the two girls' wild & silly personalities- he loved to just sit back and see what unfolded.

Mike also cherished his long time friends: Frankie, Bill Locke, Gregg Stewart, and Bill Boscia as well as some childhood friends: Mark Rushing, Bill Jones, David Patterson and many others.