Michael Kikuo Cavalenes, 30, of River Forest, died unexpectedly of natural causes on May 28, 2014. Born on April 2, 1984, he attended Willard and Roosevelt schools and graduated as one of his class’s top five students. He attended Oak Park and 

River Forest High School and graduated from the Oakley School in 2002 with honors in math and English. He later attended the University of Wisconsin Madison. 

As a youth, he spent many happy vacations in Hawaii visiting his mother’s family and enjoyed fishing for baby hammerhead sharks with his Uncle Mike. Artistically talented, he studied for a short time with Monica Liu, an accomplished expert in Chinese brush painting. He also studied the piano for several years with Ludka Derka and studied the flute as well.

An avid soccer player, he played for many years on teams coached by his father and on the OPRF varsity team. A prolific writer, he left behind hundreds of poems and a manuscript for a children’s book, which he planned to collaborate on illustrating with his mother. In grade school, he won an award for a story he wrote for a West Suburban competition. 

Michael Cavalenes is survived by his heartbroken parents, Mark and Lynne (nee Tamura); his grandparents, George and Elisabeth Cavalenes; and his uncles, Michael Tamura, Mathew (Patti), Steven, Michael and George Cavalenes. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Edwin and Tomie Tamura. 

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St. in Oak Park. Dress will be casual. His ashes will be scattered at a later date in his beloved Hawaii. 

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to a favorite charity, or give to the Humane Society, the Oak Park-River Forest Food Pantry or to Brookfield Zoo. Michael would have liked that.

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