Michael Leonard Miraglia

Michael L. Miraglia passed peacefully on March 13, 2024, with family at his side. Mike was born in Oakland in 1946 to Jim and Marie Miraglia and grew up in Oakland and San Leandro with his brothers Tom and Jim. He attended St. Patrick's Seminary and Bishop O'Dowd High School and received his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from San Francisco City College. He spent his entire life in the family catering business, Miraglia Catering, which he took over in 1978 with his wife, Cheryl, who he had married in 1976.

The business had been started by Mike's dad in 1948 and, at 72 years, was the longest established catering business in the Bay Area when it was forced to close due to the pandemic of 2020. Mike enjoyed and excelled in catering because he loved serving others and providing delicious food. He was a true caterer in that he could do it all - sell, plan, cook, serve. The business grew exponentially over the years, catering both social and corporate events but Mike loved going table to table to check on guests and he always got his picture taken with the bride. A smiling, happy customer was his biggest reward.

He had lots of catering stories to tell but some of his favorites were from when they catered three back to back World Series for the A's in 1972-74 where they handled the press lounge and served multiple meals to over 1000 guests per day including tons of celebrities. He remembered receiving a call from Charlie Finley one morning telling him that 1000 lobsters were being flown in from Maine and would be arriving within the hour. The shop at that time was less than a quarter of the size it eventually was but somehow they did it, although Mike said the place smelled like lobster for weeks!

Mike was definitely a car enthusiast over the years but was probably best known for his bright yellow 1930 Model A hot rod which he drove around town and to so many car shows. He got the car while he was in high school and showed it, winning Best Street Sedan in 1965 and 1993 at the Oakland Roadster Show. He even did a few AmeriCruises to Illinois in it....and with no radio, no air, and little comfort that is no small feat!

In 2002, Mike received a heart transplant at Stanford, Palo Alto. At the time, they had said the average life expectancy was 9-10 years but Our Lord blessed us with 22! Seven months post-transplant he went into rejection while visiting a friend in Chicago. He was on life support for 13 days and spent 9 weeks at Loyola Medical Center there but he pulled through (there were so many people praying back home!).....which led one of his doctors to dub him "Miracle Mike". Over the years, he received nothing but excellent care from all his doctors and staff at Stanford for which we are so grateful.

Mike truly did believe in serving others, largely due to his Catholic faith and his belief in Our Lord Jesus Christ. He was active in many organizations: Rotary Club of San Leandro where he was a member for 56 years (the perfect club for Mike since the Rotary motto is "Service Above Self" which he exemplified), the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, the Italian Catholic Federation, the Knights of Columbus, the Board of the Five Canyons Owners Association (first homeowner on the Board and served for 28 years), the Board of the San Leandro Boys & Girls Club and was still serving as president of the San Leandro Boys & Girls Club Foundation, the 100 Club, the and the Pharaohs Car Club where he was inducted last year into their Hall of Fame. He was also an Honorary Almeda County Deputy Sheriff.

Mike is survived by his wife of 47 years, Cheryl, his daughter Jenna, his granddaughter Olivia , his brothers and -sisters-in-law and many dearly loved cousins, nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 4, at 1:00 pm at Our Lady of Grace Church, 3433 Somerset Avenue, Castro Valley.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either

San Leandro Boys & Girls Club Foundation, 250 Juana Ave #201, San Leandro, CA 94577

Stanford Medicine: General Heart Failure Gift/Cardiovascular Medicine Division, P O Box 20466, Stanford ,CA 94309

Donor Network West, 12667 Alcosta Blvd. #500 , San Ramon, CA 94583

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