MICHAEL ROBERT ZERVAS
On March 17, 1948, in Ventura, California, a big, rambunctious baby boy was born to June Scobie Young and
Robert Charles Young. Mike's father was in the Air Force, and he was assigned to serve with the occupation forces in Japan. The family moved there and their stay was the source of rich family memories and stories.
Mike's mother and father divorced, and June took Mike back to her home town of Toledo, Ohio. There, Mike met the first of two strangers who would change his life. His mother married a sensitive and loving man named James G. Zervas, and from the beginning James formed a strong parental bond with Mike. James, a man with a limited educational background, believed that higher education was the key to success, and he made it clear that Mike would be going to college.
In 1958, the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada looking for better opportunities. Growing up there, Mike's zest life and his fill-up-the-room personality emerged. He graduated from Rancho High School in 1965, and in 1968 married Kathy Jo Larson. He was drafted soon after and served in Vietnam. When he came home, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He went straight to UNLV, earned two degrees and was accepted into Hastings Law School. While in law school, in 1973, Mike's beautiful baby girl, Gina Michelle, was born.
After graduating, Mike and his family moved back to Las Vegas, and Mike started and ran a successful law practice. In 1977, Mike's son, and his pride and joy, James, was born.
In 1991, Mike and his family moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where Mike continued to practice law. Later, Mike and Kathy divorced.
Then Mike met the second stranger who would change his life - Cathleen Rhoades. It started as a late-in-life romance but deepened into a full commitment to each other. Mike's and Cathy's happiness was contagious and they were fun to be around. Cathy died peacefully with Mike next to her on January 22, 2021. Mike died quietly in his home, surrounded by family and friends on July 1, 2021.
We miss Mike's big, exciting presence the world is smaller without him.