In Memory

Michael Archenhold

Michael Archenhold

AUSTIN - Michael Allan Archenhold, 49, assistant producer for Austin City Limits, died peacefully Sunday morning, Nov. 14, 1999, at his residence.

Memorial service: 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the small sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation. Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger will officiate. Mike chose cremation; his cremated remains will be scattered in the Austin area. Visitation: Following the service, the family will receive friends at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Archenhold.

Memorials: For those desiring, donations may be made to the New Temple Building Fund, Beth-El Congregation, or to a charity of choice.

Born May 5, 1950, in Fort Worth, Michael Allan Archenhold was the son of Rudolph C. and Helen Ginsburg Archenhold. His mother died this year in February.

Mike was a 1968 graduate of R.L. Paschal High School and received a degree in radio, television and film from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. Although he moved briefly to Corpus Christi from 1972-73, he returned to live in the easy pace of south Austin.

His life was marked by a devotion to absurdist humor. He was a founding member of the Tomato Hubris for Wit and Wisdom and participated in the planning and staging of numerous satirical public theater events. As an assistant producer of Austin City Limits, as well as one of the program's original camera operators, Mike combined his love of traditional music and his widely admired skill in operating a television studio camera.

Because of Mike's love of the outdoors, he traveled throughout the American West with his friends. An ardent environmentalist and supporter of causes benefiting humanity and nature, Mike gave generous support to programs relieving hunger and restoring America's wilderness places.

When cancer became a factor in life's challenges, Mike faced it with dignity and with his typical foresight and planning. He will be missed, not only in Austin, but in Fort Worth as well.

Mike's friends will gather in Austin to recount stories about him and his many kindnesses at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at Mercury Hall, 615 Cardinal Lane at South First Street.

Survivors: Father, R.C. Archenhold of Fort Worth; brothers, Bob Archenhold and his wife, Susan, of Fort Worth and Ralph Archenhold of Portland, Ore.; longtime friend and companion, Barbara Baskin of Austin; surrogate mother, Lillian Storey of Fort Worth; surrogate brother, Jon E. Narum of Austin; and his cat, Lulu.



 
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07/17/14 11:11 AM #1    

John S. White

Mike died  on November 14,1999, in Austin, where he was associate producer for Austin City Limits. 

If he were here today he would be feted as an original hipster.

We were all watching our  friend Craig play softball one time, when Craig caught three fly balls in one inning.  Mike remarked "Craig just tied a world record!"  It took me a long time to figure out how Mike knew that.


07/18/14 08:40 PM #2    

Richard Seifert

John:  Hello !  Richard Seifert here.  After Paschal, I IMMEDIATELY changed to "Rick" and I have felt better about myself ever since !  Great comments about Mike Archenhold.  Mike was a very, very loyal friend.  I remember that Mike loved to drive. And he seemed to know how to get to everything. I was a bit "shaky" about knowing how to get to places.  Not Mike.  He would pick up a carload of us.....I remember David Moore, Steve Helm, Jim Wassenich, George Goldthwaite, David Moorman..........Mike would pick us up and drive us to Dallas and it was no big deal to Mike.  I remember thinking, "How in the world does Mike know where to turn !"

When I learned that Mike had died in 1999, I was very saddened.  I wish I had been able to see him after high school. I know he went to UT and loved it.  I went to Baylor and loved.  But we lost touch with each other after high school. 

 

John, thank you for remembering Mike.  I hope you are doing very well.

 

 


09/27/14 10:27 AM #3    

David Elder

 

My Last Trip With Mike

Mike Archenhold was my friend. We knew each other since high school and roomed together in college. He was my hiking and camping buddy and we rafted and explored the Southwest. For many years we planned to go to Alaska and see some really big wilderness. Something always came up so we kept putting it off. Then Mike got cancer and died about 15 years ago.

When I had the chance to raft the Grand Canyon in 2001 I took some of Mike's ashes and spread them along a crystal clear spring-fed creek and again near the end of the journey. You see, Mike was supposed to be on the trip but when he died I was given his place. It only seemed fair that I could take him along for the ride.

Now, I have finally made it to Alaska with my partner Jim. Yesterday we took the long, bumpy ride into Denali Park on the Tundra Bus. The rain was off and on but we did see some caribou, sheep, moose and the rear end of one grizzly. There was no luck seeing The Mountain itself because of the weather. When we got to the turn-around point the bus driver/guide said that on a good day you could have a magnificent view of Denali from there. I took some of Mike's ashes and placed them next to a patch of wildflowers, welcomed Mike to Alaska and wished him fair weather and a beautiful view from his final resting place.

This morning we took a helicopter ride up into the mountains and landed on a glacier. We had just 18 minutes to explore the melting surface of the river of ice surrounded by snow covered peaks. There was an ice cave with smooth, scalloped sides of sapphire blue with a small stream of melt water running through it. I took the last of the ashes and spread them along it and bid Mike farewell to his final, final resting place.

I went to Alaska with Mike but he won't be coming home with me. Instead he will continue his journey there. Long after we are gone he will be going down the glacier, along the streams and rivers until he reaches the seas from which we all emerged in the beginning. Bon voyage Mike.


06/20/18 02:01 AM #4    

Carl Weisser

In elementary school at Wooldridge in Austin in 1st and 2nd grade, as well as South High Mount in 3rd grade, and Westcliff 4th through 6th, I remember running out to recess to tag up on home base to choose teams. I loved running past people. I don't know if we did that at McClean in Junior High, probably not, but somehow I have stuck in my mind that I would run past Mike Archenhold. Mike didn't go to any of my elementary schools. But after the scene in Midnight Cowboy with Jon Voyte running past Dustin Hoffman on the beach, I thought, that's me and Mike (Mike was a much better runner than Dustin Hoffman. Dustin ran better in The Graduate.)

Mike was the kind of guy you wanted to be your best friend, and he was a special friend to many.


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