Michael Charles Greenberg

Michael Charles Greenberg passed on September 15, 2026. He lived in Florida.

If you ask his family, Michael Greenberg’s life was far too short. But boy, did he live.He was a special agent for the state police for 20 years, working undercover to nab the badguys – and even getting arrested once in the process. It wasn’t unusual to see him on the localnews, or surrounded by stacks of cash and cocaine. While working full time, he startedattending night classes at Nova Southeastern Law School (graduating cum laude, no less). Thisis how his three kids grew a taste for burnt popcorn, their dinner of choice in the school breakroom. It’s also how they learned it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.As a young man, Michael spent a few months living on a yeshiva in Israel before serving hisLDS mission in Ecuador. This is fitting as he spent most of his adult life looking like a crossbetween a rabbi and a young Santa Claus. He traveled the world, including a genealogydeep-dive in Ukraine and epic Europe trips with his daughters, but always called South Floridahome.For Michael, creating a loving home for his family was his greatest achievement. He married hissoulmate, Marquita, in 1984. She was a special agent for the FBI, which led to his standard,cringey line about how the FBI always gets their man. Don’t let this rewritten history fool you; hepursued her for months before she relented. They were engaged within three months. Together,they had the feisty trio of Holly, Annie, and Scott.Michael was the kind of dad who would wake his kids up in the middle of the night to goswimming during a spontaneous thunderstorm (while carefully counting the seconds betweenlightning and thunder, of course). He would pretend to spank them with a belt, secretlywhispering to please behave so he didn’t have to do it for real. Almost every teacher his kidsever had would tell them: Wow, your dad is so nice! He made sure his children were sweetly,impossibly sheltered, and knew in their bones they were deeply loved.He was also the bonus dad to hundreds of youth through his church work, first as a bishop, andthen as the Branch President for the Young Single Adults.He is survived by his father, Frank Greenberg, from whom he inherited his impulsiveness andlove for adventure; his mother, Rosita Greenberg, who balanced that with kindness andsoftness; his besotted wife Marquita Greenberg; his daughter Holly Nihipali, her husbandSpencer, and their four children Isabel, Kaʻiulani, Leona, and Enoka; his daughter AnnieGreenberg, her husband Andrew Deans, and their Agatha Catsie; his son Scott Greenberg; andhis sister Gloria Mauer and her family. He is predeceased by his brother, Danny Greenberg.Michael leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and selflessness, and is so very deeply missed.