Michael William “Mike” Kiser was born on November 30, 1956 in Gary, IN. He attended Waukesha (South Campus) High School in Wisconsin, where he achieved good grades and was selected to the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. As an Eagle Scout, Mike was a member of the Order of the Arrow. In sports, he ran track and lettered in both football and baseball.
Receiving a congressional appointment, Mike joined the Class of 1978 on July 7, 1974. During Beast Barracks, he was assigned to 2nd New Cadet Company and was unflappable in the face of adversity. During several field exercises, Mike’s Eagle Scout expertise helped him and his squad. A bivouac was just another scouting experience, and he helped classmates less familiar with living and surviving in the great outdoors.
Mike’s reputation was that of a soft-spoken, good person. He was a helpful classmate who, like most plebes, attempted to keep a low profile. Assigned to Company I-2 after Beast Barracks, Mike received a bit more voice coaching from the upperclassmen due to his mild-mannered ways. When calling minutes, or otherwise being confronted by upperclassmen, he was a lightning rod for their attention as they “mentored” him to develop a better command voice. He always took it in stride and was never too rattled by their intense treatment.
Mike had a good handle on academics and found that he had a bit more time available than most other plebes. He joined several clubs and sports to augment the challenges of cadet life. He played 150-pound football as a plebe and was on the Fencing Team all four years. His strong performance in sabre contributed to the Fencing Team’s winning season during Mike’s firstie year. Additionally, the voice coaching and “mentoring” Mike received motivated him to join and sing in the Cadet Glee Club all four years.
Mike’s academic standing remained high throughout cadet life. From yearling through firstie year he participated in the Cadet Public Relations Council (CPRC). His great attitude and personality melded well with CPRC’s high school recruiting mission in his congressional district. “Kise” was so good, he was named Wisconsin’s CPRC coordinator as a firstie.
After summer training in 1976, his class was re-shuffled, and Mike was assigned to Company D-3. Once again, he proved himself as a good classmate, roommate, and friend to all. He added to his list of activities as D-3’s Class Committee representative for his last two years. During cow year, when cadets could own a car, Mike did not hesitate to purchase a Camaro Z-28. He loved that car and on the first cross country trek from West Point to Milwaukee in the summer of 1977, he packed up himself, three classmates and their gear and drove non-stop for 14 hours to enjoy summer break.
Mike enjoyed firstie year. He had academics under control and did well in fencing. When time permitted, he enjoyed hopping into his Z-28 and racing classmates over Storm King Mountain to Newburgh’s Jack in the Box. Mike loved Jack’s deep-fried tacos, even though they were the greasiest things you could imagine eating.
On Branch Night, Mike selected Finance Corps. After graduation, he married Jane Kusler before heading to the Finance Officer Basic Course. After OBC, Mike served in the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, TX from November 1978 to December 1981. In addition to his professional development in military finance, Mike completed a master’s degree in management science and commanded the 502nd Finance Company. If a troop had a finance problem, you could call Mike and he would support the chain of command and the soldier in resolving the issue.
After Fort Hood, Mike attended the Finance Officer Advanced Course in Indianapolis, where he and Jane welcomed their daughter, Erica, to the family in February 1982. After graduation, Mike was assigned to Rock Island Arsenal, IL, where he performed matrix management and procurement duties in the Army Materiel Command. He resigned from the Army in 1985 but maintained a close association with his alma mater and continued in federal service. Mike put his Army experience to good use by joining the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He eventually became the district director for Wisconsin’s SBA offices.
Mike, as a father, was a loving and caring man. He married Teresa Rosenboom in 1987 and together they had two children, Brett in July 1990 and Marissa in July 1992. Mike always showed up to his children’s sports games and adopted their first dog. He took Marissa and Brett on an annual trip to visit his oldest daughter, Erica, in Los Angeles, CA. Mike would always rent a red Mustang and take the family to the beach and nearby restaurants. The best memories were around Christmas time, when the entire family would get together to eat, drink, open gifts and enjoy good conversation.
Mike left federal service in 2000 but continued to serve his community. In 2000, he established and owned Small Business Advisors, which he operated until 2015. This firm offered commercial lending consulting and government contract negotiations to small businesses. He also volunteered as president of the West Point Alumni Society for Wisconsin from 2000 to 2008.
Mike Kiser’s earthly work was completed on November 22, 2015. He passed away much too early at the age of 58. Mike is survived by his daughters, Erica and Marissa, and his son, Brett. He is remembered as the soft-spoken, kind, and good classmate from Wisconsin. “Be Thou at Peace” Mike Kiser and may God bless you.
— Marissa Kiser and ’78 classmates