Michael Charles Baxter

     Michael Charles "Mike" Baxter, 59, of St. Louis, MI, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, July 3, 2026, at McLaren Central Michigan Hospital.
     A Celebration of Life for Mike will be held at Resurrection Life Church, St. Louis, at 12:00 P.M. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, with Pastor Rick Lopez officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. prior to service.
      Mike was born in Alma, MI, on February 16, 1967, he was the son of Charles L. and Beverley J. (Dilno) Baxter. He was a graduate of St. Louis High School and earned a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Lake Superior State University. On October 17, 1998, Mike married the love of his life, Karin (Mayes) Baxter at First United Methodist in St. Louis, MI.
     Mike had an accomplished career and was most recently the Engineering Manager at Integrity Solutions Field Services in Alma, MI, and a founding owner of Polymath Science in Clare, MI. He has been in the corrosion control industry since 2009, and was an AMPP Certified Cathodic Protection Specialist (CP4). He developed analysis methods and instrumentation for assessing pipeline cathodic protection levels in a high capacitance environment and designed and implemented testing instruments for equipment function verification.
      Mike has worked in many different facets of cathodic protection and has developed many young engineers along the way. Mike instructed at several short courses held across the country, including at the University of Purdue and West Virginia University. He had a passion for helping to educate other corrosion professionals on the fine details of AC Influence.
     Mike was the proud recipient of the Colonel George C. Cox Award in 2023. This award is given in recognition of an individual's public contributions to underground corrosion engineering. He also sat on the general committee at West Virginia University, lead a sub-committee spearheading interference curriculum for the education committee at AMPP, and was instrumental in upgrading the testing protocols for the AMPP Cathodic Protection Technologist and Specialist certification.
     Mike was naturally curious about the world around him, always seeking knowledge. He pursued the sciences at a young age, gravitating towards chemistry sets over action figures. He tinkered with things and brought many ideas to life with his inventions. He was a fan of science fiction, Star Trek, and rock music.
     Mike’s curiosity was also reflected in his study of the Bible, especially Bible prophecy and end times. He did not approach this subject with fear but rather anticipation and wonder. He had faith in Jesus and was happy to share his faith when the opportunity arose.
     Mike was a worthy adversary to anyone willing to step up to the challenge of debating or playing any sort of board or card game with him. No matter the topic or game, Mike's competitive spirit was hard to contain. He had a great, sarcastic sense of humor and enjoyed friendly banter and making others laugh.
     Mike and Karin enjoyed hosting get-togethers, especially treating everyone to his delicious barbecue chicken. Mike was a connoisseur of scotch and was thrilled to travel to Scotland to witness (and taste) the authentic brewing experience.
     Mike will be deeply missed by his friends and family. He was truly one of a kind.
     He is survived by his wife Karin Baxter of St. Louis, MI; his children: Vivica Baxter of St. Louis, MI; Alexander Baxter of New Baltimore, MI; and Micah Baxter of St. Louis, MI. Mike is also survived by his parents, Charles and Beverley Baxter; siblings: Michelle Sumner, Gina (Frank) Fairbanks, and Nicole Baxter, sister-in-law Jennifer Baxter; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Gregory Baxter; his grandparents: Arthur and Anita Baxter and Ed and Iretha Dilno; and in-laws Bill and Loraine Mayes.
     Memorials may be made to the wishes of the family. Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, St. Louis, Michigan.