Michael Allen Boat
Michael Allen Boat was born on September 21, 1970 and passed away in his sleep on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at his home. Mike was a lifelong Phoenix resident whose favorite way to spend his time was with his daughters. He was truly loved by all of his family and extended family, and he will be dearly missed. He is survived by his mother, Velda; his daughters, Julia and Hayley; his brother and sister-in-law Billy and Andrea, and their children: Trisha, Chad, Brooke and Emily; he is also survived by his aunts and his many cousins. Mike was preceded in death by his father, Loren William Boat; his paternal grandparents, John and Helen Boat; and his maternal grandparents, Odis and Lora Boren. Mike was very active throughout his life, and was always looking forward to the next big adventure, the next get-together, or just the next chance to sit and enjoy good conversation. Among his favorite activities were watching his girls, Julia and Hayley, in their personal pursuits of volleyball and cheerleading. He attended every game, proudly watching their performances, vicariously enjoying their every success. Born in Phoenix, Mike first attended Montebello and then Cordova Elementary School...[more]View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
member of the 1988 graduating class of Alhambra High School, Mike played one year of basketball before committing his full time extracurricular attention to racing. He had already spent most of his life in the fast lane. Mike started with a motorcycle racing career at age 6. This was followed by competition in go carts, and then micro-midgets, before he finally took the wheel of a Sprint car when he was 18-years-old. Alongside his father and his brother, Mike built and worked on all of the cars he raced. Countless hours in the shop were considered a joyous routine for the threesome, all veteran competitors in their own right. They worked on the cars all week, and nearly every weekend, the Boat family could be found at Phoenix area race tracks, starting with the old Beardsley and Arrowhead Raceways, and ending with Manzanita and Tucson Raceways. It could never be said that Velda was left on the sidelines. She played her own important part in the family enterprise, and her unshakeable dedication and encouragement did not go unnoticed by Mike. He loved his mother deeply and appreciated her important role as his unwavering devotee through the celebrations and the pitfalls that accompany life at the track. For this small group of four, the ties that bind were intertwined within the fabric of racing itself - the sights, the sounds, the smells of the track - sensory evocations of family bonds. Over the years in the sprint car, Mike not only drove his own cars, but he also drove for well-known Phoenix area car owners Lowell Carston and Bob Smith. He also drove the #29 SCRA machine for Bruce Fisher, and the #92 "Moosewagon" machine for Tom and Laurie Sertich, winning a dramatic 1998 SCRA feature at Manzanita. Among the many highlights of his success were the Rookie of the Race award at the Little 500 in Anderson, Indiana in 1990, and ultimately, his 2002 United States Auto Club Southwest Sprint Car Championship. When it came to his work outside of racing, Mike also shared an entrepreneurial spirit with his father and brother. The ambition to take on the challenge of owning and operating a business did not bypass Mike. One of the first business successes he experienced was his job as Billy's one and only employee at the fledgling B&B Fabrication business Billy started. Needing Mike's help, Billy hired him to fulfill an order for 1,000 display stands - a daunting challenge for the two young men who were, as if in a race car, flying by the seat of their pants and figuring it all out turn-by-turn. Mike continued to work side by side with Billy at the exhaust company for most of the last 28 years, holding roles from fabricator to Production Manager to Sales Manager, playing a key role in the growth and success of the company. When Mike was 22, he started his own business, First Class Cleaning, where he enjoyed working alongside his employee, Jennifer Dinges. They married in 1997. In the next few years, his two beauties, daughters Julia and Hayley, came into the world, and Mike was transformed and transfixed by a heart-gripping love he had never known was possible. No matter where he was - working or behind the wheel, Mike was a positive presence - a selfless friend to everyone. Even through his quiet exterior, it was easy to see that Mike loved people, and he would do anything for anyone. People who knew him can easily look back on the times he came to their aid, stood by them through a tough situation, or just listened to their stories. He was a hard worker, a tough competitor, and above all, a first-rate father. From an early age, the girls were introduced to life at the race track as they proudly watched their dad compete. Having them there was never a question. They easily integrated into the family culture, and Mike made sure they comfortably fit in. Julia and Hayley may never truly comprehend how special they were to Mike, but he definitely put explicit efforts into clarifying that point. Literally, his favorite pastime was watching them perform and reveling in their successes. One look at his Facebook page proves it - adoration for his two girls - their beauty and the strength of their character - was pretty much Mike in a nutshell. All of Mike's friends and family were shocked and saddened by his passing, and one friend, who had shared with Mike "some deep conversations about his life, his family (especially his girls) and his health," left Billy a poignant message that offers some solace to all: "I want you to know your brother knew and loved God. He loved the life he lived and that he left this world knowing you all loved him in return." Rest in God's Peace, Michael Allen Boat. Visitation is from 6:00-8:00 PM Tuesday October 16, 2018 at Hansen Chapel, 8314 N. 7th Street, Phoenix 85020. Funeral service is at 10:00 AM Wednesday October 17, 2018 at Christ's Church of the Valley, 7007 W. Happy Valley Rd., Peoria, 85383. Burial to follow at 11:45 AM at Resthaven Park Cemetery, 6450 W. Northern Ave., Glendale 85301.
