HARVEYS LAKE — Gary Michak had a gift to make people believe they could do anything, said Sean McGrath a longtime friend and former karate student of the late attorney.
“He was the most charismatic individual,” McGrath said. “He would tell you that you could do the impossible — and he was right.”
Michak died unexpectedly Sept. 20, leaving behind his wife, Courtney Burgess-Michak, and two children Ariana and Thomas, all of Harveys Lake; his mother, Lillian; sister, Donna and her family; and brother, George and his family.
Michak established a private law practice in Shavertown, but the Harveys Lake resident was also known for teaching martial arts and for running a recent campaign to replace retiring District Judge James E. Tupper (11-3-09).
McGrath was one of Michak’s karate students in the 1980s.
“I was 8 years old when I first met Gary,” the 45-year-old McGrath said.
At the time, Michak would hold martial art demonstrations in the auditorium in Boscov’s Department Store in Wilkes-Barre.
That first exposure to the martial arts discipline hooked the young McGrath who trained with Michak.
“He was tough but he never had us do something that he would not do,” McGrath said.
McGrath said one of Michak’s lessons was to disarm someone with a smile.
“His infectious smile is imprinted in my mind,” McGrath said.
Michak started practicing karate in 1968. He, too, was 8 years old at the time. The Wyoming Valley West graduate began participating in competitions in 1972.
In 1981-1982, Michak earned a variety of awards in numerous national tournaments that included Mid-American Diamond Nationals in Minneapolis, Minn.; Steel City Open in Pittsburgh; AKA Gran Nationals, Chicago, Ill.; All Ontario Karate Games, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Battle of Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.; the U.S. Open, St. Petersburg, Fla.; and the Canadian Karate International Grand Diamonds, Ontario, Canada.
Michak appeared on the cover of the May 1982 edition of Karate Illustrated magazine. Also, Karate Illustrated yearbook nationally ranked the Plymouth native in eighth place in overall fighting, seventh place in Kata and eighth in weapons.
Recently, Michak was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in August.
Michak was a sixth-degree black belt, McGrath said.
The friendship between sensei and student grew over the years.
McGrath remembered when he was a young adult preparing for his first trip to London.
“He (Michak) gave me his backpack and a lecture,” McGrath said. “It was like a father talking to his son. He told me how to act, what areas to avoid, how to carry my passport and money.”
Michak’s compassion and desire to help others fueled his passion for becoming a lawyer.
Michak opened a private law firm on Memorial Highway in Shavertown in 2004.
During his 2017 campaign for the Magisterial District Judge (11-3-09) position, Michak enjoyed going door-to-door and meeting area residents, Randall Kemmerer said.
Kemmerer knew Michak for about six years.
“He was the kind of person you meet and felt like you have known him your whole life,” Kemmerer said. “He had a great energy about him.”
Kemmerer remembered when Michak revealed his plans to run for the judge’s seat.
“I asked him, ‘Why do you want to do this?’” Kemmerer asked.
“His answer was, ‘I want to give back to the community.’”
Brian Tupper, who defeated Michak in the primary election, found his challenger to be “always pleasant and friendly.”
“I could not ask for a better competitor,” Tupper said. “He is a definite loss for the community.”
