Michael Lee Saracino

Michael Saracino, born on March 30, 1937, in Dawson, New Mexico, passed away in Denver, Colorado on June 16, 2024. 

 He was the beloved son of Virgil and Mildred Saracino, who raised him well. 

 Michael lived in Dawson until he was thirteen years old, when the coal-mining, company-town was closed. 

 Michael and his family were one of the last families to depart the town. The closing of Dawson was a traumatic, life-altering event for many of the town’s former inhabitants, Michael among them. 

 Michael's early years were shaped in Trinidad, CO where he excelled in sports, particularly basketball, boxing, and football. His athletic prowess led him to secure college football scholarships at both DU and at Dartmouth before a back injury halted his playing. Michael continued his pursuit of dentistry in the United States Army, where his military career flourished for 10 years. 

 During his service in Germany, he met and married his first wife, and welcomed his eldest child, Mark. After relocating back to the US, Michael went to dental school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and later honed his dentistry skills while working at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, where the young family welcomed their second child, Heidi. The family later settled in the Washington, D.C. area where Michael worked at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and in Baltimore, Maryland, his youngest daughter, Kelly, was born. 

 Michael ended his military career as a Major and moved his family back home to Colorado. Michael served as the director of dentistry at Eastside Health Center in Denver for three decades while maintaining a thriving private practice in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

 Michael was a talented musician. He played many instruments including guitar, drums, and trumpet. At age 15, when Michael was living in Trinidad, he toured with a mariachi band playing the trumpet. In the 1960s, he performed as part of a trio act in the Denver-area nightclubs. He continued to play and enjoy music throughout his life.

 In 1992 , Michael married Susan Moellenkamp Saracino and they moved to Southeast Denver. Together they embraced a life filled with love, adventure, and learning. They rescued and cared for two dogs, enjoyed traveling, and immersed themselves in the study and practice of a plant-based diet. 

 A lifelong advocate for health and wellness, Michael achieved a black belt in Karate in the 1970s. It was registered in Japan. 

 In the early 2000s, he retired from dentistry to pursue his passion for exercise and holistic medicine, becoming a revered teacher at the Dahn Center in Denver and, later, taught stretching classes for seniors. 

 Michael was preceded in death by his younger siblings, James Saracino and Sally Saracino. He is survived by his loving wife, Susan, his children Mark Saracino (Kim Sayler), Heidi Saracino (Frank Greek), and Kelly Saracino (Jack Roesch), nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a multitude of extended family and cherished friends. 

 Michael Saracino will be remembered for his humility, his unwavering commitment to teaching others, his passion for lifelong learning, and his loyalty and love for his family and friends. He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, and dedication that will continue to inspire all who knew him. 

 Michael will be buried at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver, CO on Thursday July 11 at 2:30 pm. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 11 at 10:00 am at Horan & McConaty, 11150 E. Dartmouth Ave, Aurora, CO 80014.

 In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine or the Denver Dumb Friends League.