Mike died peacefully in Spring Hill, FL, at the age of 69. His loss was sudden, as he was full of life and aspirations. Mike was born in Rockford, IL, at the Swedish American Hospital on Jan. 21, 1954, to Iris Louella (Jackson) Cartwright and Harry Norman Cartwright. He had an older sister, Penny Cartwright, with whom he shared his parents and upbringing.

Mike left home and married his first wife, Sandy, in 1972 at 19. They had two children before divorcing after eight years of marriage. Mike met his second wife, Donna, in 1980. They had two children before divorcing after 25 years of marriage. Mike met Janet Tindle, and they married in 2011. They moved to Florida, where he lived out the rest of his days happily married in Spring Hill, FL. 

Mike was a loving husband and father; his love for family and ability to make everyone feel special was unmatched. Mike’s charisma and curiosity brought him many friends and projects. Music was his first love, having gotten his first guitar lessons in 3rd grade using a guitar that his parents rented. Mike would get his first job, buy a guitar, and play his entire life. In addition to music, Mike had a passion for technology, engineering, and mechanical innovations, tinkering his whole life and accomplishing incredible feats, including rebuilding motorcycles, instruments, computers, and anything else that made him curious. Mike was savvy in business real estate and had an eye for photography that brought him to start his own profitable business in Real Estate Photography and videography, allowing him to get his passions together under networking, technology, art, and business. 

Mike always loved Florida, and after raising a family, he realized his dream to return to the sunshine state with perpetual summers and unlimited options in photography. He spent his retirement working through anything that piqued his interest in his ideal living scenario, close to family and friends with lots to do. Most importantly, he spent every day with his best friend, Janet. 

Mike is survived by his wife, Janet Tindle of Spring Hill, FL; his four children, Jeremy (Tracy) Cartwright of Rockford, IL; Beth (Joe) Litteral of Hudson, FL; Chelsea (Jon) Sinclair of Spokane, WA; and Meredith Cartwright of Wheeling, IL; his eight grandchildren, Ambur Bogdatovia-Litteral (Ana), Simon Cartwright, Brooke Litteral, Solveig Cartwright, Maddux Rueff, Luella Litteral, Jaqueline Sinclair, Abigail Sinclair; and his sister, Penny Cash of Rockford, IL. 

We loved Mike dearly, and his memory will continue to live on.