1965 ~ 2016Michael Van Dam beloved son, brother, uncle and friend died unexpectedly on October 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA. He will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. Michael was born on May 12, 1965 in Salt Lake City, UT to R. Paul and Lynne Palmer Van Dam. Michael is survived by his Mother, Lynne P. Van Dam, his Father, Paul Van Dam and his partner Lisa Rutherford, his sister, Julie Van Dam, her husband Stephen Janke, his nephew, Carson Janke and many friends in Utah, California and elsewhere.Michael was a maverick who touched us with his fervor, his joy and intense will to succeed. He was married just out of High School to Tiffany Rutherford. The couple divorced and Tiffany later passed away due to complications from a long illness.Michael loved nature and the wilderness in the western states. He hiked, camped and wandered the west believing always to touch the earth lightly and leave hardly a trace of himself in those pristine places.He practiced meditation and enjoyed his time with Self Realization Fellowship. His memories when working on their herb farm in Escondido are filled with stories of friends made for life and gratifying hard work. His study of Yogananda inspired him to travel to India where he visited the spiritual places he had read about.Michael was a skilled carpenter, handyman & home builder who could fix nearly anything. He joined his father on many long sailing adventures and was a skilled sailor. He loved music, playing both guitar and cello.Always fond of reading and learning, he moved into higher education later in life with his usual zeal and graduated with honors, magna cum laude in Classic languages - Latin and Greek. He was in the process of applying to Law School. His intent was to represent indigent people and environmental organizations.Our family wants to recognize the family that Mike was living with in Los Angeles. They are loving, giving people who accepted Mike into their family group and were with him at the time of his death. The Raymundo family was Mike's family, nearly as much as his own birth family. We are much in their debt. We will miss his expansive spirit and his mischievous smile.A memorial service to celebrate Michael's life will be held November 19, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Salt Lake City at 569 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, Utah. In honor of Mike, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mercy for Animals ( http://www.mercyforanimals.org/).