10/13/2025
Michael Hulet
Michael William Hulet, aka "Papa" aka "Our Hero" graduated from this earthly life with honor on 9/17/2025, surrounded by the love of his family. He is now anxiously engaged in the work in Heaven and in watching over his family from above, leaving them with an example of love, faith, service and commitment to the Lord.
Michael was born on December 8, 1946 in Provo, Utah to his WWII veteran father, William Albert Hulet and his sassy, vibrant, musical mother, Betty Mae Danks.
He spent most of his childhood pursuing typical young boy antics with his younger brothers and sisters in Idaho. His days were occupied at school, where he was a good student with a bright mind. He loved reading, helped out with the animals (had many fond memories of horses and dogs growing up), learned to play the trumpet, and spent time with his grandparents in the summer months. For years to come, he would share stories of his adventures with his siblings, of his horse Kit, of his grandmother's cooking and delivering the mail with his grandfather. But central to everything he did, even at a young age, was studying, learning, and creating the roots of his testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the core of his life, every day of his life.
In high school he pursued his study of the gospel in seminary, learned to play the trumpet, and developed other talents and skills such as ballroom dancing, and debate. He has always been a believer in magnifying the talents he was given and investing himself in developing whatever gifts he was given. He was accepted to Brigham Young University, following in the footsteps of his parents. He met the love of his life there, Patricia Luvina Tibbitts, to whom he was sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan, Utah temple on January 30, 1970. He spent the next 55 years of his earthly life devoted to her, developing a love that is eternal. At BYU he studied Political Science with the ambition of someday becoming a lawyer. He worked hard as a student, and as a janitor at night to pay for his education and to support his wife, and a young son, John, whose arrival soon blessed the happy couple. He graduated from BYU and was preparing for law school when he was drafted to serve our country in the Vietnam War.
Michael served at the Fort Ord Army Base in Seaside, California. He was assigned to the hospital staff there and was a diligent soldier. His adored daughter, Mary, was born during his service as an Admin Specialist. Following his service, he had a young family to support and being the responsible, dedicated husband and father that he is, he put his dreams of a career in law aside and worked instead as a paramedic, attending classes in the evening to pursue his education in engineering. He never looked back or complained about "what might have been". He accepted changes in life, "put his shoulder to the wheel" and moved forward. His "first we work and then we play" mantra served him well throughout his very impressive career. He earned a master's degree in systems safety engineering and worked in the coal mines, then in other safety positions, while adding two more darling daughters to the family, Kimberly and Holly. His career of keeping others safe and solving problems culminated at NASA, both in the wind tunnels of Moffet Field, at the NASA Ames Research Center in San Jose, California; and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He also enjoyed his work as an adjunct professor at USC. He authored several professional articles in his field and was called in for inquiry and planning boards when the best of the best in the NASA think tank were needed. His career resiliency was a manifestation of his intelligence, capability, and his love for others. It was fueled by his determination to give to everyone around him by keeping them safe, while diligently providing for his wife and children.
He served his community as well in community theatre, and in the Rotary Club where his public speaking skills were honed. But his greatest service came in his unstinting, unwavering, endless love of his family.
Michael is a devoted father and grandpa, present at every blessing of a child in church, standing with his hands supporting each baby whether his own child or a grandchild in a circle of love. He was there at each baptism, each sealing, and each event he could possibly attend. He sent weekly letters to his missionary children, grandchildren, and even nieces and nephews, filled with gospel insight and a liberal dose of love. He coached and refereed soccer games, drove kids to all of their activities and was the cheerleader of every accomplishment they ever achieved, no matter how small. He is the ultimate baby charmer and puppy whisperer and could often be found pushing cars in the ground with a toddler, holding a baby he loved in his arms, or feeding small treats to a puppy. He loves them all. His kindness to strangers exemplified a disciple of Christ in every situation. He was kind, grateful, concerned with others, and always wanted to share the light of Christ with each of them, to leave their life better for having known him, whether they were a store clerk, a young mom being harassed by a crying child at Walmart, or one of the nurses in his final days. He has always been a great listener and counselor and always prayed with his family, sharing his testimony with deep love and humility. He is generous with his words of love and praise and support. He has always been the sage his family turns to with any questions about the gospel.
If you were to ask Michael or his family what his earthly life was devoted to, they would all answer the same - being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was not idle talk for him, nor was he passive in his devotion. Michael was actively engaged in church service throughout his life. He served as a missionary in Munich, Germany, and in many callings including the calling of Bishop in Morgan Hill, CA. He served in the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah and the Houston Temple in Houston, Texas. He loved to be with his family at the temple and never refused an offer of a temple trip with any of his children or grandchildren. He was a genealogist, spending years of his life paving the way for hundreds of ancestors to be able to make covenants in Heaven. He never begrudged one moment given to serving the Lord, his family or the community. Michael has always been an active scholar of the gospel having read the scriptures innumerable times, and also reading from gospel scholars, amassing a library of hundreds of his favorite gospel books. At one time, he was engrossed in learning about the many roles the Savior plays in our lives and he devoted the better part of a year to searching the scriptures, and every book and church article he could find to learn every name used for our Lord, feeling that each name helps us to understand the character of Christ. It was his earthly life's goal to emulate the Messiah as best any mortal man can.
Son, brother, husband, father, and Papa, he served his mission on Earth with great love, and graduates this life with so many lives and hearts drawn closer to Christ for having known him. He is loved beyond words or measure by those he is physically separated from for now. He is preceded in his advancement to Heaven by his mother Betty Danks Hulet, his brother Barry Hulet, and his grandson Micah Morais. He still watches over those who will meet him when their time to graduate this life comes; his wife Patricia Tibbitts Hulet, his father William Hulet, his brother Greg Hulet, sisters Tamara Wood, Judy Fluckiger, Heather Cummings and April Dees, his children John Hulet, Mary Hulet, Kimberly Bailey and Holly Mockett, his grandchildren McKenna Morais, Kaitlynn Sales, Brittany Hulet, Michael Seal, William Hulet, Conner Seal, Lauren Wood, Anna Mockett, Logan Seal, Skylar Seal, Claire Hulet, Sarah Gates, Lizzy Mockett, Carter Hulet, Julia Mockett, Hyrum Mockett, and Holland Bailey, and his great-grandchildren, Hayden Morais, Adrie Morais, Alice Sales, Kylie Sales, Teddy Wood, Aria Sales, Maverick Morais, Lucy Mockett, Emersyn Morais, and many more to be welcomed into his legacy of love.
Services to honor his life will be held on Friday 9/26/2025 at:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
3785 West Box Elder Drive 4000 N,
Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062
Viewing at 10 am.
Funeral at 11 am.
His earthly body will be buried in at the Victor Cemetery in Victor, Idaho alongside his parents and grandparents.
Graveside services will be held on at 11 am on 9/27/2025 in Victor, Idaho.
860 Victor Cemetery Rd.
Victor, Idaho.
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