Michael Jonathan Bourne

Michael Jonathan Bourne, age 41, died Wednesday, December 2, 2009, in his Madison home. Born in Minnesota, Michael lived most of his life in Madison, graduating from Madison West High and the UW-Madison. A competitive gamer, he made a formidable opponent in complex strategy games. Michael also loved the outdoors; he camped in all seasons, sailed, skied, snorkeled, scuba dived, and taught canoeing. Michael touched the lives of many in the Madison ballroom dance community, as a president of UWMBDA, and as a ballroom instructor. He was especially good at teaching those for whom dance did not come easily. In his twenties, Michael owned his own landscaping business, and later volunteered his time and talents to a landscaping project at his church. In recent years, he volunteered for the Red Cross in areas stricken by hurricanes, forest fires, and floods. He was a blood and plasma donor, and he donated his organs upon his death. Michael will be greatly missed by his mother and stepfather, Mary and James Hamre; his father and step-mother, M. Sidney and Rita Bourne; his sisters, Heather and Ashley Bourne; his grandmother, Ruth Anne Dykman; his step-grandparents, Clarence and Lucille Hamre; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, stepfamily members, and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Melvin Dykman and his grandparents, Bailey and Jesse Bourne. A remembrance service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 1 p.m. at the FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, Wis., 53705. Parish Minister Michael Schuler will officiate. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Unitarian Society of Madison or to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Road, Madison, Wis., 53718. You can also honor Michael by filling out an organ donation card.