Obituary: Michael Hans Pasco

Retired U.S. Army Col. Michael Hans Pasco passed away at his home in Smyrna, Ga., Sept. 30, 2020.

Michael was born on Nov. 3, 1963, at a U.S. Army field hospital in Munich, Germany, to Maj. Allen and Ursel Pasco. After losing his father at a young age during Allen’s duty in Vietnam, Michael chose to honor him by dedicating his life to service. In 1985, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. For the next 11 years, Michael served in Korea, the Sinai, and the Netherlands as a company commander and UH-1 helicopter pilot. After completing training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., Michael served as a foreign area officer in Thailand, where he graduated from their senior staff college.

In 1996, Michael returned to the U.S. and began his second career with IBM. His dedication to service was still strong and Michael joined the U.S. Army Reserves in Atlanta. Through a mutual friend he met the love of his life, Lauren Mendel, and they were married on Nov. 5, 2000. Michael and Lauren shared a love of adventure and traveled the world together, including a six-month deployment with the U.S. Army to New Zealand. After a 30-year career, he retired from the Army as a full-bird colonel.

Michael is survived by his loving wife Lauren Beth Pasco; parents Larry and Ursel Pasco; sisters Karen Noonan and Ellen DeGroot; brothers Greg and Matthew Pasco; and in-laws Steve and Teri Astren, Herb and Marsha Mendel, Keith and Marni Mendel, Craig Mendel, and Jason and Jennifer Butler. Honorary pallbearers were Dave King, Mark Sisson, Eric Sanders, Steve Astren, Craig Mendel, Keith Mendel, Greg Pasco, Matt Pasco, and Tim Noonan.

Michael will be remembered for so many things, including his service to his country, enjoyment of fine food and wine, love of German automobiles, fascination with and superior understanding of technology, and a sincere and infectious laugh. He had the ability to converse intelligently on any subject, often in any language. Michael had a voracious appetite for reading, skill as an aviator and scuba instructor, a love of music, and a way of connecting with children, especially his many nieces and nephews. Most of all, Michael had an ability to engage with people and make lasting friendships. He had an uncanny way of taking the driest, most banal subject and making it sound interesting. Michael will be remembered by everyone lucky enough to have met him, and by those whom he made that extra effort to stay in touch with, he will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to support the West Point Jewish Chapel at www.westpointjewishchapel.com. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.