Michael was born in San Antonio to Lynn Alan Shipley & the late Rhonda LaNell Simmons. He was little brother to the late Jennifer Lynn Shipley & was a very active kid to say the least. In fact when Rhonda returned after leaving a very frazzled Lynn alone with Michael for the first time he begged her to please never leave him alone with Michael again.

Well of course she did and of course Lynn survived it. In fact Lynn helped to channel Michael's boundless energy into a passion for sports. Michael excelled in track, football, baseball & hiking. He became an avid Spurs enthusiast & an Aggies football fanatic.

Rhonda read to Michael, developing in him a great passion for books. With Michael's uncommonly high IQ he was able to absorb the fascinating things he read & was always eager to share it with anyone that would listen. And let's face it, the man could talk & talk & talk… He also developed a fierce love for music. His buddy Pat put it best when he said "I'll never forget how stoked he'd get when playing something new for someone. He'd crank up the volume & say listen to the bass work. He'd notice subtle aspects in the music, knew who was on the drums & what bands they were in before."

Michael had a booming voice & a boisterous laugh. He had mastered an impressive Scottish brogue, was a skilled Chef and an unrivaled gardener, specializing in organic herbs. Without a doubt the Lord Of The Rings has lost their greatest fan & one of the few people that was fluent in their Elvish language. We will miss his Chewbacca moan. His musical talents earned him brand sponsorships, a seat in jam sessions with legendary greats at Lukenbach, an invitation onto Pat Green's tour bus & opening band vocals for Cory Morrow. We will miss his incredible stage presence, his flair for writing, singing, playing his originals and crowd favorites that brought him & the world around him such joy.

On Oct. 23, 2022 Michael passed away leaving his father Lynn, nephew Conner, niece, Sidney, cousins Paxton, Parker, Abbigail, Carrie and beloved Aunts & Uncles. In his final days he sent his dear friend Erin the beautiful "Footsteps" poem. Hopefully it will bring each of us the comfort that it brought Michael.

Memorial services and burial will begin at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, November 12, 2022 in Myrtle Springs Cemetery, Geneva, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Myrtle Springs Cemetery, P. O. Box 193, Milam, Texas 75959.

Cremation arrangements were handled by Starr Funeral Home, Hemphill, Texas.

Memories and condolences may be shared at starrfuneralhome.com.