Mike Himmerich July 29, 1961 – July 1, 2022
By Martha Deichler – Originally Published on The ‘Borrego Sun’ Website
Mike’s signature is on hundreds of checks from the Borrego Ministers Association given to families and folks in need in our community, especially during the Pandemic. His kind smile and gentle manner greeted visitors from all over the world over the ten years he volunteered at the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce. His leadership in the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was vital to the functioning of this church.
Mike Himmerich volunteered selflessly and his kind and gentle soul touched so many in our village. He loss is being felt immediately in the Borrego Springs Community.
Mike passed away on July 1, 2022, from postsurgical complications. Services are pending.
Mike was born on July 29, 1961, in Adak, Alaska where his father, Frank Himmerich, served in the US Navy. He lived for some time in England, then spent the majority of his adolescence in Arlington, Virginia. Mike attended Shepard College where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography. He later worked in photography, IT and received his nautical Captain’s License.
Mike’s longtime best friend, Min Enghausern, attended college with Mike and describes him as her “big brother” and fondly remembers his trips back to visit her in Richmond, Virginia, where Mike would quietly go about fixing things in her home with little fuss or fanfare. She appreciated his intelligence and his dry sense of humor and although she encouraged him numerous times to return to Virginia, Mike would stubbornly refuse, stating that he loved the small-town atmosphere of Borrego Springs, the dark sky and the brilliant stars.
Mike moved to Borrego Springs around 1993, after his mother passed away and his dad, Frank Himmerich, obtained his pilot’s license and purchased a home in the Borrego Air Ranch. Mike quickly found his niche volunteering in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as President of the Elders’ Quorum.
Soon after, Mike began volunteering in the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce, where Executive Director Françoise Rhodes states, “Visitors will never forget the smiling face and incredible knowledge of Mike Himmerich. A volunteer at the Chamber for over 10 years, Mike’s joy of helping others was always on display, whether it be on the phone or in person. He was a kind and gentle person, who we all considered a dear friend and a wonderful human being.”
At the onset of COVID-19, Mike’s role as Treasurer of the BMA (Borrego Ministers’ Association) took on an increased and important role as requests for assistance poured in from hundreds of local families, as well as thousands of dollars in donations. Mike worked feverishly with other members of the BMA to match needs with financial assistance, cutting hundreds of checks for locals in our community while keeping tight and concise financial records. His work with the BMA will be sorely missed. Mike was our BMA Financial Star!
Mike is preceded in death by his brother, David Himmerich, as well as his parents, Frank and Jeanne Himmerich. He is survived by his father’s sisters, Dianne Johnson and Sue Beem, as well as an uncle, Bob Himmerich.
His Aunt Dianne affectionately refers to her nephew as a quiet and kind “curmudgeon”, a man of few words. Mike didn’t need to speak much as his deeds spoke for him. He was a man of action and it is these actions of kindness and volunteerism that had such a tremendous impact on our Borrego Springs Community.
Mike’s goodness and sweet smile will be missed by many.
