Michael Anthony Guido Obituary

Michael Anthony Guido attended Fordson High School in Dearborn, MI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Michael Anthony Guido.

Graduation Year	Class of 1972
Date of Passing	Dec 05, 2006
About	Mayor of the City of Dearborn since January 1, 1986. Beloved husband of Kari. Dearest father of Mikie and Anthony. Loving son of Emilio and Helen. Dear brother of Vickie Skrisson, Laura Guido-Clark and Lisa Guido. Funeral Mass Saturday 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 22430 Michigan Ave. Public visitation Thursday and Friday 3-9 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish Hall, 22495 Garrison, Dearborn. A private entombment will take place. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in the Mayor's name to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute Pancreatic Cancer Research. Mayor Guido was diagnosed with cancer in February, 2006. He remained on the job every day, continuing to work long hours at City Hall and around town, attending public events throughout his outpatient treatment. Despite the diagnosis, his work schedule remained staggering, often lasting 12 hours and chocked full of meetings and public appearances. Since June 2006, he had served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors, a demanding position that kept him active on the national stage, working on behalf of Dearborn and cities across America. He also held leadership spots with the National League of Cities over his long career. Guido was mayor for 21 years, beginning in January, 1986, and was in his sixth term of office. Before that, he had served for eight years on the Dearborn City Council. He was elected as the city’s youngest council member and then youngest mayor. As mayor, he changed the physical face and space of Dearborn, initiating development projects that revived the critical downtown areas, including West Village and West Village Commons in the west end, and Georgetown Commons in the east end. Notably, he pushed for updated improvements to the city’s extensive collection of recreation facilities. His drive to keep Dearborn attractive for families and young professionals in the face of competition from newer communities culminated in the construction of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in 2001. It is the largest municipally-owned recreation center in North America and is capped off with a stunning professional theater. Among the lengthy list of private and public development projects Guido directed, he was most proud of The Center, which he often said brings the community together in “body, mind and spirit.” Other significant projects included the expansion of the Dearborn Ice Skating Center (The DISC), the construction of a new Police Headquarters, the expansion of the Robert Herndon Dearborn Hills Golf Course, the redesign of Ford Woods Park, improvements to Camp Dearborn and neighborhood pools and parks, and expansion of Esper Branch Library. Humor, especially self-deprecating humor, was his trademark—and he will be remembered for his ability to use it to make people feel comfortable, to make pointed observations, to diffuse heated situations, and to cajole employees into doing their best without criticizing them. 1954 - 2006: The Dearborn community mourned the loss of Mayor Michael Guido after his valiant fight with pancreatic cancer. His remarkable energy, sense of humor, and dedication to the city were all earmarks of his long history as mayor. Elected to the City Council at age 23, he later became the city's youngest mayor at age 31 and was sworn in for his sixth term in January, 2006. The mayor never sought to use his position as a stepping stone to higher office. His close friends would tell you that Mike considered the job of mayor of his hometown the best job in the world. Perhaps because of that focus, he earned many awards for his innovations and efforts on behalf of Dearborn, including election as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. His term began in June of 2006. Michael Guido was a member of the graduation Class of 1972. As mayor, he participated in many Fordson activities throughout the years. To mention just a few, he was present at many Homecoming events; he spoke at National Honor Society Induction Ceremonies; he played the trombone with the Jazz Band. His sense of fun was often evident. He was a remarkable speaker. We extend our sincere sympathy to his wife, Kari, his sons Michael and Anthony, his parents Emilio and Helen, his sisters, Vickie Skrisson, Laura Guido-Clark and Lisa Guido, and to the friends who held him dear.