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Shawn Chittle
F L I N T O I D
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In every neighborhood in Flint, throughout the generations, there is always one special kid, who, growing up, serves as the role model for the other kids. Growing up in the 80's in the neighborhood that falls in the shadow of the GM Truck & Bus plant, that kid was Michael Cross.
I grew up in the house next to him on Penbrook Lane and am a few years younger than he is.
Mike was a star scholar athlete at Flint Southwestern High School. After he graduated with a veterinarian degree, I figured he was on his way to the Detroit suburbs or perhaps Chicago to make his fortune as a doctor. I couldn't have been more wrong. Mike went home to Flint and set out to make Flint a much better place to live and work. I envied this selfless act. Flint is where his heart is. He set out to make his own community better.
And boy, did he ever.
Not content with just becoming a successful area veterinarian (already a full time job), he started the Veterinary Technology program at Baker College so others could benefit from working with animals, a worthy career choice. Keeping that focus on education, he campaigned
successfully and was elected to a seat on the Flint Board of Education.
All this before age 40.
Inspiring? You bet.
They say you make the best with what you have to work with. What Mike does is to make the stuff we work with that much better. He helps people realize that the American dream in Flint may be a fantasy to some, but with hard work and the right attitude, you can make it a
reality right here at home.
His grand vision is to restore the Flint community schools to greatness. Our community schools were once the model of the nation. With Mike's dedication and leadership, they certainly have the right guy in their corner. I was looking forward with excited anticipation to what he was going to bring to the Board.
On Saturday morning, September 29th, 2007, Mike died tragically in his sleep. I got the call later that day; I was stuck in traffic in Manhattan when my brother called me. I pulled over to the side of the street and just broke down. It's one of those moments when you'll remember -- for the rest of your life -- exactly where you were when you got the news.
His lovely wife is the first woman shown in my photo gallery -- during happier times. Kim, my heart goes out to you and your kids.
Mike taught me that one person can make a difference, one person can inspire countless others to greatness. He inspired me to give more back to my hometown.
Flint needs more people like Mike Cross.
On a funnier note, another kid I grew up right next door to, Kyle Henney, wrote this hilarious memorial to Michael, and I had to share some of it (slightly edited). What he says he describes perfectly what kind of cool dude Michael was, and how he stayed true to himself, always...
I remember going over to the Cross home with house animals in every room of the house. From dogs, piranhas with goldfish heads in the bottom of the tank, losing the tarantula in the house and Michael's mom yelling at him to find it. Iguana, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, snakes and I know I am missing many more. I was afraid to spend the night, but Michael loved them all. He always had a passion for animals which was no surprise he chose to be a veterinarian. My last memory of Michael was this past summer at Wesley's (Michael's brother and another dear friend) wedding. After wine at the wedding, beer & liquor at the reception and then hitting downtown Traverse City for more drinking equaled a crazy night. I remember Michael & I looking for Nicole's (Michael's sister) husband Jeff who wandered out of the bar not to be seen till the next morning. Our posse headed for our cars to visit the club at the Holiday Inn and enjoy the night life.
As Kim (Michael's wife) & I were getting in the car I had to move this torch lamp out of the way so I could get in. Mike said "Kyle, what's that?" I said "A nice torch lamp, just sitting here." Mike said "Is it garbage?" I said "No, the cord is connected and the light bulb is in it." Mike said, "Put it in the car" Kim protested and said to Michael "No, no... where are we going to put this?" Mike said, "In our bedroom."
The look on Kim's face still makes me laugh.
So there we were driving through Traverse City with the base of the lamp sticking out the window of Kim's car. The funny part was the next morning at the continental breakfast everyone was looking out the window wondering why Kim had a lamp sticking out of her car window.
Michael Cross, may your memory shine on like that lamp.
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Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:42 pm |
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ThaMaestro
F L I N T O I D
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I was lucky enough to meet with Dr. Cross on a few different occasions. He was my wife's instructor in the Vet Tech program at Baker. She had always thought very highly of him, and the first time I met the man I could see why. He had a confident intelligence about him without a hint of arrogance.
A very personable man who people seemed drawn to. Flint and the world was touched by a great soul, a soul that has left a lot to many different people. Dr. Michael Cross will live on with his teachings, his giving nature, and his overall love and drive for life. I met the man on a few different occasions and with just that he left a lot with me. |
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Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:38 am |
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lnoblitt
F L I N T O I D
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I was so sad to hear today of the passing of Dr. Mike Cross. I am still in shock as I sit here now. I wanted to post this vet school admissions letter I wrote back in 2006 about my experiences, my decision to pursue a career in vet medicine, and Dr. Cross' impact on me. Dr. Cross was the first vet I truly saw in action (back at the old clinic on Hill Rd.), he was our family's vet up until we moved to Indiana back in 2001. I will never forget him. He is a major reason I am in vet school today. Here is the letter:
“I tell you this, James. These are great days ahead.” I first thought about a career in veterinary medicine in 1998 while watching the English TV series "All Creatures Great and Small," based on the books by the late veterinarian Dr. James Alfred Wight. I became enthralled by the veterinary profession, compliments of Drs. James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon. The combination of scientific discovery, professional camaraderie, humor, and obvious compassion for their patients and clients appealed to me. I remember thinking, “I want to be like Dr. James Herriot.”
It’s easy to remember the specific "All Creatures" episode which had the greatest impact on me. While acclimating himself to his new rural surroundings and trying hard to win the local farmer’s trust, James fortuitously stumbled upon “a new method” of treating animals in “perpetual pain, shock, and terror.” After all known treatments had failed, James prescribed forty-eight hours of sedated “deep sleep” for two patients—a dying ewe and a rapidly fading toy poodle. He reasoned that it allowed nature the chance to take over and mend the animals, and indeed the animals recovered. Siegfried urged James to write a scientific paper on “the use of sedation as an adjunct to the ordinary treatment of certain animal ailments.” This depiction encompasses the essence of what I believe is truly great about veterinary medicine—not only the ability to save animals' lives and relieve the worries of owners, but also the opportunity to advance the profession’s knowledge through astute discovery.
As I was just becoming inspired by Dr. Wight’s "All Creatures" series, the health of my childhood companion, Sassy, had begun deteriorating. She was a German Shepherd/Collie mix that had been diagnosed with diabetes seven years earlier. There was an unwritten rule in my house that whoever woke up first would administer Sassy’s daily insulin shot. In fact, she knew the routine so well that she’d literally lie down, mouth wide open, and wait patiently for the “Cheez-it,” “Saltine,” or other small snack that happened to be accessible. I clearly remember leading the funeral-like procession of cars to see our family vet, Dr. Michael Cross, knowing that I would not be bringing her home again after her final injection. Dr. Cross was very professional and carried the procedure out quickly and with kindness. This helped to ease the grief that we were all feeling.
Shortly after this difficult loss I felt increasingly convinced that I should pursue a career in veterinary medicine and, therefore, declared a major in biology at the University of Michigan-Flint. I did so with a new found sense of direction and purpose. In thinking back—Dr. Michael Cross was a model of the profession for me in much the same way James Herriot had been—perhaps even more so, as this was real life…not a television show. I wanted to help other people in similar situations. I remember thinking, “I want to be like Dr. Michael Cross.”
After completing my undergraduate degree in 2001, I entered Purdue University’s Veterinary Pathobiology Master’s program under the guidance of Dr. Suresh Mittal to further strengthen my knowledge base and research experience in the field. My thesis project was a hybrid of sorts, fusing two nearby laboratories in the veterinary school that had, up until then, worked independently of each other. Our lab focused primarily on using the adenovirus as a vector for gene therapy, while theirs was a world leader in the study of EphA2, an oncogene recently implicated in many human and animal cancers. I am proud to know that this collaboration led to significant reduction of breast tumors in both nude and immunocompetent mice and one day may serve as an alternative treatment to radiation, chemotherapy, and radical mastectomies in women diagnosed with breast cancer. During my work as a graduate student, I also had the opportunity to teach and mentor two undergraduates each summer. This was as much a learning process for me as it was for them in many ways. The experience strengthened my leadership skills and my own understanding of the science. I took this responsibility seriously, not only because their success (or failure) was a direct reflection on me, but also because my influence on them may have largely shaped their perception of research in general.
After leaving Purdue in 2003 with my M.S. in molecular virology, I gained further practical research experience by working for Indiana Protein Technologies, a subsidiary of the IVAX Corporation, which is a large producer of both human and veterinary pharmaceuticals. As a research scientist, I gleaned valuable perspective on what it is like to work in the industry under strict FDA guidelines, producing proteins such as human growth hormone and insulin. Here, I learned first hand about the direct application that pharmaceutical research and development have on veterinary practice.
The DVM degree carries with it so many exciting potential career opportunities, not only in the traditional sense of owning and/or working in a private practice (an aspect that I particularly love), but also in more specialized areas such as cardiology, pathology, or oncology doing “cutting-edge” research. Based on my diverse experiences thus far, if given the opportunity, I feel that I am well qualified to step into any of these areas. I am currently leaning towards either companion animal or equine private practice, but would certainly approach other areas with an open mind.
Between 1998 and the present, I have worked with many veterinarians in a variety of fields including equine, small animal, and emergency medicine, as well as with researchers in basic and applied laboratories. I believe that there are many important attributes and personal traits that constitute a good veterinarian, but I feel that the single, unifying characteristic that links the great ones—the James Herriots and Michael Crosses—is compassion—not only for the animals, but also for the people who love them. I look forward to the journey of becoming a great veterinarian and am excited at what the future holds for me. I hope that one day someone will say of me, “I want to be like Dr. Loren Noblitt.”
I apologize for the length of the letter, but I wanted to leave it uneditted. Had it not been for Dr. Cross, I may not have accomplished half of the things I've accomplished in my life thus far. He was just an inspiring guy. Simple as that!!! There is no doubt he will be missed TREMENDOUSLY.
Sincerely,
Loren Noblitt
Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine
class of 2010 |
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Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:25 pm |
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lunchlady
F L I N T O I D
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| It sounds like Dr. Cross impacted numerous people in a positive way. I never met him but knew of him. I had the impression that he truly cared and I was excited to see what impact he would have in his position with the school board. The loss is for the entire community. His family has so much to be proud of. The letters and stories posted here are a nice way to remember and share. Thank you! |
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Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:38 am |
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