Michael Eugene Desforges

Michael "Mike" Eugene Desforges, 77, of Traverse City passed away Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Munson Medical Center. Mike was born on April 14, 1947 in Neuilly Plaisance, France to the late Jean and Jeanne Therese Desforges. His family moved to British Columbia when he was six, and came to the United States several years later. After living on the east coast as a teenager, Mike and his family moved to Toledo, Ohio. It was here that his father began work as a research chemist at Owen Illinois, and Mike began college at the University of Toledo (UT). He was a star basketball player in high school and began playing for the Toledo Rockets, even setting his sights on playing professionally one day, until a ruptured appendix ended his successful basketball career. While attending UT he met his future wife, Cheryl Howard. They were married on July 24, 1970, and moved to Traverse City in the summer of 1973. In 1981 Mike and Cheryl welcomed their beloved daughter, Courtney who became involved in her father's art presentation at an early age, and was a source of pride to Mike right up to his passing.
Mike was an inventor at his core. More than five decades ago, on a summer break from teaching French at the University of Toledo, he followed in his father's innovative footsteps and developed an acrylic emulsion that would change the way artwork and photographs were preserved and presented without the need for glass; Cheryl and Mike traveled the country to present this emulsion at countless art shows in the 1970's. Forty years ago, when he opened The Wooden Gallery (on Front Street in downtown Traverse City) to sell artwork presented with this trademarked process, he not only created a product but he established a community. To know Mike was to hear him explain that the result of this process was the nicest possible presentation of an art print, poster, or photograph. His product proudly hangs on the walls of thousands around the world, even presented to Pope John Paul II. Mike never met a stranger, and was eager to learn the life story of anyone and everyone who came though the gallery. He liked to say that the Wooden Gallery Process helped memories last a lifetime. In the past decade this emulsion's purpose had been broadened by Mike to include improvements on everything from exterior house paint to boat hulls, and up until days before his passing he was eagerly working on a solution to remedy potholes by mixing the emulsion with cement. Mike was the epitome of a thinker, a dreamer, and an innovator. From Mike's old Boston Whaler boat and prized canoe to his garage workstation, his signature custom innovations were everywhere he went. Aside from his inventions, favorite pastimes included fishing, boating, and boasting about his beloved two grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law.
In addition to Cheryl, Mike is survived by his daughter Courtney (Anthony) Visioni, grandchildren Luca and Stella Visioni, and his siblings Peter (Suzanne) Desforges, Kathleen Desforges, and Nickie (Paul) Danison. A private family celebration of life will take place at a later date. Kindly share thoughts and memories with his family at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com .