Michael David Stahl

Michael David Stahl, 57, passed away peacefully at home in Bellingham, Washington on July 5, 2026.

Michael was born in Portland, Oregon on October 24, 1968. His earliest memories revolved around music, as he listened to the records his parents brought into the home. As he got a little older, he played trumpet and drums, but the best part was when he’d sneak into his mom’s bedroom while she was at work, grab her acoustic guitar and the music book she had, and began teaching himself how to play. Michael was motivated to learn, had a great ear, and his passion for all things music grew and grew over the years.

Michael attended elementary school in Buckley, WA. He later attended Key Peninsula Middle School in Peninsula School District where he discovered the world of computer science. His days at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, WA were marked by swimming, lettering in track, working on the yearbook and writing for the school newspaper. A poem Michael wrote was published and he was invited to read his poetry at a local coffee shop when he was in high school.

As a teen, Michael worked at Rax (fast food) and Huckleberry Inn. These experiences taught him what he did NOT want to do for the rest of his life. Michael spent two summers as a counselor at Camp Easter Seal which resulted in a lifelong empathy for people with disabilities. However, music was still ever-present in his life. He eventually became first chair trumpet and played in a band of buddies called “The View”. In addition to performing a variety of covers and compositions, they impressed audiences by switching instruments and moving on to the next song, a true testament to the group’s talent.

Upon graduating high school, Michael enrolled in Western Oregon University (then College) to study computer science. His path to graduation was a unique one. Instead of loading up on the expected math and science classes, Michael’s deep passion for the humanities inspired a professor to take him under his wing and help him craft a solid minor that led to the college granting Michael its very first BA in Computer Science with a minor in humanities. While earning his degree, Michael worked in the school’s computer lab and put in an additional 20 hours per week at Salem Hospital to implement the first ever computer operating system while training staff across various departments.

Michael’s first job out of college was as a Lead Multimedia Software Test Engineer with Asymetrix, a company founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. In just under two years, he was promoted to Software Engineer. Even more remarkable were the stories Michael shared surrounding that time. For example, there was the night Michael and a buddy were working late, and ended up getting whisked away to Oregon on Allen’s private jet for a Trail Blazers basketball game in Portland with courtside seats and prime rib buffet. Michael was a modest guy. You had to know him really well before such stories typically surfaced. Even then, he often needed to be coaxed for details.

Asymetrix eventually needed to downsize. Michael chose to accept a severance package to explore what else was out there. That was how he landed at the game company Sierra Online, where he worked as a Software Engineer for nearly five years before doing a shorter stint at Monolith.

When Michael started his 23+ year career on the Xbox team at Microsoft, his proven technical skills merged with his love of music and sound. As a Programmer/Writer, he authored documentation for the Xbox Audio Creation Tool, voice chat, speech recognition, and DirectSound; and maintained all Xbox audio documentation for monthly releases of the Microsoft XDK as well as developer support release web pages.

Michael had assumed a number of roles in his many years at Microsoft before retiring in April 2025. Whether he was a peer, lead, or a manager, colleagues lauded him as a great team mate and mentor who was kind, easy to work with, and someone they could count on when things went off the rails. He was recognized as a compassionate soul who would take the time to check on them just to make sure they were doing okay.

A high stress career often left little time for fun, but Michael chose that time to immerse himself in music. He was inspired by David Gilmour and Eric Johnson, but eventually chose to nurture his own unique sound by experimenting with pedals and building a home recording studio.

There was much more to the Michael than music and computers. There was a generous, empathetic soul who would offer people and organizations in need financial assistance, often anonymously. A teammate and friend who lived for making people laugh. A middle school student who was inspired by his computer teacher Budd Churchward “who was wise enough to show us something and then step out of the way so we could learn by doing and experimenting.” A man who loved nature, e-bike rides, hiking, and camping, and spoke fondly of a childhood gathering field stone for the fireplace in the log home their family was building. Someone able to see the best in people and enjoyed building them up. A son who loved his parents deeply and would have done anything to make their lives easier. A deep thinker who was influenced by Carl Sagan, Neil Degrassi Tyson, and Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius. A warm, empathetic human who could deliver an epic hug and gentle words of support when they were needed most. A guy who had many adventures and felt he had lived an amazing life.

Michael is survived by his mother, Bonnie Dawson (Ron); father, Mark Stahl (Sandra Major); younger brother, Eric Stahl, extended family and enormous number of friends and colleagues who valued his work ethic, kindness, generosity, integrity, and humor.

Donations are encouraged to any of the following charities which Michael supported: World Central Kitchen. Meals on Wheels, Bellinghome School of Music (Mr. Peabody Fund - youth music lessons, music camp and instrument rental benefitting young students - Nick Taylor, Director, 360-483-6703) .

http://bellinghomeschoolofmusic.com/