Michael Allen Klimek of Chester, California, died suddenly May 27, 2025, of natural causes, shocking all who knew and loved him. His loss is immeasurable, just as his impact was on the lives of countless others.
Born Jan. 15, 1974, to Pete and Karen (Cima) Klimek of Davis, California, Mike’s nuclear family was completed by the arrival of his sister Jennifer a few years later. Mike enjoyed his pre-college years in Davis to the fullest, including playing baseball, basketball and football at Davis High School, working summers for his uncles’ landscaping business in Sacramento, and forging lifelong friendships with many Davisites.
After attending California State University at Chico, where he made more lifelong friends, Mike began his life’s work in the federal government, first as a seasonal park ranger at Glacier National Park, and then at Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It was there in 1997 that Mike met the love of his life, Camille Thrash. Mike continued working seasonally at Mt. Rainier National Park in 1998 and 1999, when he moved to Lassen Volcanic National Park in the fall. He reunited with Camille there and took his first fire job on the fuels crew.
After marrying on April 13, 2002, Mike and Camille embarked on what they considered their honeymoon—a road trip to Colorado for the 2002 fire season with the Alpine Hotshots. Mike dearly loved his hotshot brothers and sisters and all members of the wildland firefighting community, whom he remained devoted to for the rest of his life.
Eventually Mike landed with the Lassen Hotshots in 2003, and he and Camille settled down for the first time in Westwood. The first of two sons, Lucas Robert, arrived the day before Thanksgiving 2005, followed by his brother, Grady James, on Christmas Day 2007. Mike’s boys were his absolute pride and joy, and the Klimek family lived a life of adventure together in the beautiful outdoors back-country skiing, hiking, backpacking and doing water sports in and around Lake Almanor. They also explored spots around the world, including Mexico, Costa Rica, the Big Island of Hawaii to see Kilauea, the Na Pali Coast of Kauai, and Italy to visit their “Italian Family,” friends that Mike met while traveling in Italy in the winter of 1998.
In 2011, the Klimek family moved to the community of Chester. Mike loved living and coaching in Westwood and Chester for the last 21 years, and he loved all the people he knew in those places, especially the players he coached and their families who knew him as “Coach Mike.”
After spending nine years as a Lassen Hotshot, Mike returned to the National Park Service, where he was most recently serving as the fire management officer for Lassen Volcanic National Park. Through recent years of devastating fires that threatened and decimated local communities, Mike gave his all to protect the communities and natural resources in and around Lassen Park and the Lassen and Plumas national forests. Nobody was better suited for that task.
Mike’s life exemplified the adage “leaving the campsite cleaner than he found it.” He brightened every event he attended, strengthened every team he was a part of, improved every player he ever coached, and enriched the lives of all who knew him.
Mike was predeceased in 2017 by his mother Karen, who was the source of his boundless love; grandparents Victor and Anna Cima, whom he affectionately referred to as Nonnie; grandfather Albert Klimek; grandmother Helen Klimek; loving Uncles Bob (Ruth) Cima and Mike (Maryann) Cima; and his adored father-in-law Wally Thrash. He is survived by his father Peter Klimek of Davis; Uncle Vic (Melanie) Cima; mother-in-law Christina Thrash of Petaluma; cherished wife and partner-in-all-things Camille and their adoring sons Lucas (19) and Grady (17) of Chester; beloved sister Jennifer Klimek; nephews Kendall and Keelin of Sacramento; loving brothers and sisters-in-law Shane Booth and Katie Thrash; nephews Thatcher and Finley of San Francisco as well as Greg Thrash and Melisa Jeong; nieces Maddison and Gracie and nephew Owen of Petaluma. Mike is also remembered by numerous extended families, including his dear cousins Robert, Elyce, Mackenzie, Amy, Tony, Julie, Lori, and their families.
Of all the qualities comprising his larger-than-life presence, including his unique booming voice and beaming smile, Mike will most be remembered for his kind heart. He has always been and will remain unforgettable.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Parish, 220 Clifford Drive, Lake Almanor, CA 96137. A reception will follow (location to be provided at the service).