Obituary of Miguel Ortiz
Mike's infinite kindness and gentleness will be with us forever. He passed in the comfort of home on February 15, 2025, with loved ones by his side.
Mike was born in 1948 in Southwest Detroit, Michigan. This community was instrumental in developing him into the man he became. Mike’s parents established themselves in Southwest Detroit in the 1920s—his mother Dolores from Jerome, Arizona and his father Paulino from Santander, Cantabria, Spain. They established a sense of heritage and pride in Mike, along with a passion for justice, equality, and the importance of being active union members. His older brothers, Paul and Richard played a huge part in raising him as well, role-modeling for Mike the values of academic success, professional achievement, and raising families—as well as a passion for sports, fostering a lifelong fandom of his beloved Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons.
After graduating from Western High School, Mike attended Wayne State University for his undergraduate and law degrees. In law school he was involved with progressive student and community organizations, participated in fundraising efforts for social justice organizations such as at the annual Buck Dinner in metro Detroit, and was the president of the WSU chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. He then began a legal career that was always grounded in the values of human rights, due process, and justice—he had grown to recognize and respect the role that labor unions served in achieving and protecting fair working conditions. He worked as an attorney for the Detroit Free Legal Aid Clinic; for the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission); and for MSEA (Michigan State Employees Association), the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) local that represented public employees in Michigan. Mike was an indelible part of the progressive legal movement in Detroit.
After 40 years of living and working in Detroit, Mike relocated to Albany, New York to begin a 26 year career as an attorney for CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association), Local 1000, AFSCME, honing his knowledge of both public sector and private sector labor law. Mike remained actively engaged in the labor movement, and in matters of social justice. He served as president of the New York State Capital Region chapter of LERA (Labor and Employment Relations Association); and as president of the local chapter of LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement). He was a member of the Solidarity Committee of the Capital District. On a number of occasions, Mike also served as a legal observer to help facilitate peaceful civil disobedience at local demonstrations such as Occupy Albany and Moral Mondays. He was a legal observer for the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride during its stop at Washington Park in Albany. He also served as a legal observer at multiple national presidential election sites, including in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Mike always took great pride in his Spanish heritage and Hispanic/Latino-American identity, which began with his parents and was nurtured in the Southwest Detroit community. His mother and father were the longtime operators of Hispanos Unidos, a community center on the corner of 25th St. and Vernor Highway, which was an important hub of social activity for the local Hispanic/Latino community. As the son of an immigrant, Mike was passionate about the issue of immigrant rights. He was always happy to put his Spanish fluency to good use wherever a translator was needed (especially in legal situations), translating legal documents, or by communicating with other legal professionals, such as with his 2010 presentation in Havana, Cuba at the 4th International Conference on the Role of Unions and Labor Lawyers in Protecting Social Security and the 11th Bilateral Research Exchange among Labor Lawyers, Trade Unionists, Neutrals, and Scholars titled “The Employee Free Choice Act/ La Ley de Libre Elección de los Empleados.”
Mike loved collecting and sharing music, was an avid reader of history, enjoyed golfing and skiing, and especially cherished spending time with his friends and loved ones. He was a caring and wonderful person with a great sense of humor. He was also a tenacious yet diplomatic lawyer. He will forever be loved and missed.
Mike is survived by his beloved and devoted wife, Marilyn (Raskin-Ortiz); by his treasured children, Ben (Gladira), Martin (Cassy), Alicia (Marz), and their mother, Christine; by his adored grandsons, Xavier and Tristan; by his many beloved nieces and nephews and their families; by Marilyn's daughter Rachel and son Michael, whom he loved and cherished as his own; and by Marilyn's loving sister, Mona and her family. Mike was predeceased by his brothers, Paul and Richard; his parents, Paulino and Dolores; his brother-in-law Gerald; and his sisters-in-law Joan and Vivian—all of whom he loved dearly.
We are forever grateful for all the love and support we have received and continue to receive from our cherished friends, family, and caregivers.
Mike did not want to have a funeral, and we therefore are honoring his wishes.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared with the Ortiz Family, online at: SimpleChoicesCremation.com
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