Michael Bryan Burkhalter, loving husband, father of four children, friend, firefighter, and proud Veteran of the United States Army, passed away at his home Saturday night, September 18, 2021.

Michael was born December 31, 1970 in Houston, Texas to Milton Bryan Burkhalter and Laura Jean Supple Burkhalter.

He was preceded in death by his son, Hunter Bryan Burkhalter; paternal grandparents, William Bryant Burkhalter and Frances Geneva Walker Burkhalter; and maternal grandparents, Eugene Andreas Supple and Dorothy Mae Hopper Supple.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ami Burkhalter; two sons, Hayden and Nathan Burkhalter; daughter, Olivia Burkhalter; his beloved dog, Zoey; his mother, Laurie Gaas and husband Gene; his father, Milton Burkhalter and wife Linda; his step-brother David Michalak (son of Linda Burkhalter) and wife Michell; his step-sister, Kelly Leiker (daughter of Gene Gaas) and husband Eric;  nieces, Madison and Hailey Leiker, and Sophia and Elizabeth Michalak; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Mike was very curious and adventurous growing up, often getting into things he shouldn't have been.  You could almost guarantee that every time he did something, such as falling through the ceiling in the house while trying to hook up cable to his room, he would call his mother, Laurie, who was typically at the salon getting her hair done.  Mike loved movies, music, and in the last few years began teaching himself to play the drums and guitar.  Some of his favorite memories were he and his mother going to the movies and dancing around the house while listening to Motown artists.  He also loved going to the fire station as a child with his father and working with him learning the air conditioning business.  Mike loved to go country dancing and met his wife Ami in 2005 at Red River Dance Hall in Tomball.  Although Ami and Mike danced all night long and she really liked him, she initially tried to set him up with her good friend.  Fate intervened and she realized what an amazing man he was and they were married on March 3, 2007.  Mike and Ami were each other's best friend.  Mike loved being a father to all of his children and was very determined to give them a good life with all the opportunities he could.  He enjoyed working on trucks with the boys, taking them to do air conditioning work with him in the summers, helping coach their baseball teams, and spending time with them in general.  Olivia, as the only daughter, was the apple of Mike's eye.  She was eager to start learning to do air conditioning work with him next summer and they loved to watch movies together while cracking jokes.  She is very much a daddy's girl and definitely has his personality.  Ask anyone who knew him and they will tell you that Mike always had them laughing.  If he was in a room, everyone was being entertained.  He always enjoyed putting a smile people's faces or messing with everyone, and as he would often say, "I DIDN'T LIKE YOU ANYWAYS."  If you knew him, you heard this phrase multiple times and laughed as he said it.

Growing up in Houston, Mike went to Klein Forest High School.  At the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army from 1989-2002.  Mike valued the service highly and attained the rank of Sergeant.  While in the Army Mike served in the infantry, airborne, and was a tank mechanic.  He served in Panama, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and helped train the Australian Army to use the American tanks.  As part of his service, he received three Army Commendation Medals, eight Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal, Over Seas Service Ribbon, and Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar.

His service to our country and community did not end after his Honorable Discharge.  Following in his father's footsteps, Mike joined the Houston Fire Academy in 2003 and has worked with the Houston Fire Department (HFD) ever since as a firefighter, EMT, paramedic, and Engineer Operator.  Along with his love of helping the community in the fire department, he decided to take over the family business of B.W. Burkhalter Heating and A.C.  In the last few years, he had built it up into a full-time business which he was very proud of.

Mike left us in the way he always wanted to, quickly and peacefully, lying in bed next to his wife with his Crown Royal and peanuts at his bedside.  At Mike's request there will be no funeral.  He made Ami promise that she would throw a party.  He wants everyone to drink, have a shot, and share some stories about him, both good and bad.  He said he didn't want everyone going on about how wonderful he was, as people typically do when someone is gone.  So, if you tell a good story about him, be sure to tell something about how he was an a****** as well (his words).  We know he is watching, laughing, and rolling his eyes at this being written and would tell everyone to suck it up and move on, and you better have fun while reminiscing about him.  Celebrate his life!

To honor Mike, a visitation and viewing will be held from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, October 1, 2021, at Klein Funeral Home -Champions, 16131 Champion Forest Dr., Spring, TX 77379. Guests are welcome to stay for the HFD Honor Guard Services and Military Honors immediately following the visitation at 8 p.m.

A celebration of life party will be held at a later date, to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Go Fund Me account that has been created to help the family. https://www.gofundme.com/f/paying-tribute-to-firefighter-michael-burkhalter?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR2Eq6e9ydyrHZ7SHTg57ECkvOGs-Ra_42DSOUAnRfP8zDopJCJrf7_s3sQ