Michael Don Hulsey

Michael Don Hulsey, 32, of Skiatook, died Saturday,  March 28th, 2020, of injuries he received in a tragic car accident near Sperry.

He was born on July 13th, 1987, to Mike and Donna  (Wadsworth) Hulsey at the Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital in Tulsa. Michael grew up and received his education in Skiatook. Before attending school, he went to Blue Skies and Rainbows Day Care Center and Osage Nation Head Start. He went to Skiatook Public Schools where he graduated with the Class of 2006.

Michael was very active growing up and participated in band, baseball, basketball, and tennis, but his true passion was soccer. Summers were spent at the lake with his family, camping, fishing, swimming, and boating. Vacations were planned around zoos, museums, and his favorite, amusement parks, where he would ride as many roller coasters as he could!

Michael and his brother, Zac, who was his best friend, went to Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, where they were affectionately known on campus as The Hulsey Brothers. He studied American Indian Studies and was on the Student Council. He was very involved with the Wetlands Preservation Organization. He and Zac were members of the Thunderbird Theater, where they acted in plays, built sets, and co-directed a play. While at HINU, he made many lifelong friends and many good memories.

As a teenager, Michael worked at special events at Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa. He later started his career there and became the sole custodian at the Downtown Philbrook until it closed. At the time of his death, he was working at the Main Philbrook Museum. He was a very hard, conscientious worker, who everyone could go to when they needed help.

Michael was a member of the Cherokee Nation. He was very proud of his Cherokee heritage and was an activist for Native American rights. It was well known that he was an avid Bernie Sanders supporter.

Vintage clothing was something Michael adored. He frequented thrift shops and used clothing stores to find his favorite clothing pieces. He was featured in The Lawrence Style Scout Magazine when he was in college.

Michael was an artistic man who loved crafts, flowers, art, antiques, gardening, photography, and music of all kinds. He never missed a chance to help a turtle cross the road and relished being called a turtle saver. He loved all living things and would never harm anything. He was environmentally conscious and hated waste and litter.

Michael cared deeply for his family and friends. He was a good son, brother, uncle, and friend. Michael enjoyed being an uncle, not only to his nieces and nephews, but also to his friends' children. He had a big, beautiful smile and a laugh that people will never forget. He always welcomed everyone with a kiss and a big hug and never let anyone leave without telling them that he loved them.

In addition to his friends he made in school and college, he had many friends in the Tulsa Arts District, where he lived for many years. Many nights were spent with friends playing Farkle. Michael still enjoyed catching Pokemon with his brother, Zac, and his lifelong best friend, Adam, just like they did when they were young. Whether separated across town or across the entire country, he always kept his friends close to his heart.

His friend, Hank, said it best, "I miss the memory of believing you were made up of all the most handsome elements of the Oklahoma earth".

Michael was preceded in death by his father, Michael Lee Hulsey, and his grandparents, John and Walsie Hulsey, and Don and Joan Wadsworth.

He is survived by his mother, Donna Hulsey, of Skiatook, his five siblings and their families, Traci Tanner, her husband, Dusty, and their son, Luke, from McKinney, Texas, B J Hulsey, his wife, Amy, and their sons, Hogan and Henry, from Houston, Texas, Dana Yates, her husband, Derek, and their children, Riley, Gracie, Tristan, and Cash, from Verdigris, Oklahoma, Billy Franks, his wife, Marcy, and their children, Milly and Wiley, from Norman, Oklahoma, and Zachary, from Tulsa, and numerous relatives and friends.

A Celebration of Life for Michael will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made in Michael's memory to the following:

American Indian College Fund https://collegefund.org/

Dennis R. Neill Equality Center
http://www.okeq.org/donate.html

Acknowledgement letters for memory donations can be sent to:

Donna Hulsey and Family
2200 S Poplar Street
Skiatook, Oklahoma 74070







 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael Don Hulsey, please visit our floral store.