Michael James Fielding Trese

Michael J. F. “Mike” Trese of Melbourne, FL was born on October 25, 1944 in Detroit, MI to Mildred and Joseph Trese, the youngest of four children. He attended Redford High and enjoyed working on cars with his friends. He attended junior college in Port Huron while staying with his beloved grandfather, Frank Trese. Mike served in the Michigan National Guard and was activated to keep order during the Detroit Riot of 1967. Mike moved to Adrian, MI in 1969. There, he met his wife of 49 years, Cherry (Wassink) Trese. Mike worked in her family’s lumber and hardware business and was active in Adrian Rotary Club. He and Cherry raised two children, Tim and Andrea, spending happy and memorable summers at a cottage on nearby Sand Lake. In 1978, the family moved to Cocoa Beach, FL, where Mike operated a one-man print shop based in Cocoa. Over the next 34 years, Mike diligently built Trese Printing into a successful operation in Rockledge, employing 25. He was a highly respected local businessman and a leader in the state printing industry, serving as president of the Printing Association of Florida. Mike worked hard, but also took great pleasure in life and shared his delightfully silly sense of humor with family and friends. Among various interests, he was an avid fisherman, skilled small-boat sailor, talented amateur photographer, reader of Hemingway and Leonard, lover of good food, and stalwart Detroit Red Wings fan. He loved travel, and when he retired in 2012, he and Cherry purchased an RV and enjoyed touring the country with their dogs. He also served on the board of directors for Literacy for Adults in Brevard. Mike passed away peacefully at home with family on April 6, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Cherry; daughter Andrea ten Danne and granddaughter Alanna of Denver, CO; son Tim and his wife Tracy of Pullman WA; grandson Mike of Waco, TX; and brother Joe of Newcastle, IN; and sister- and brother-in-law Ann and Rich Flansburg of Wheaton, IL. He is predeceased by his parents and sisters Susan and Nancy. Mike is remembered as a supportive employer, a jovial friend and neighbor, and most of all, a loving and generous husband, father, and grandfather. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to Literacy for Adults in Brevard (literacyforadultsinbrevard.org) or the Trese Family Scholarship Endowment at Michigan State University (find at givingto.msu.edu/gift/).