Mike was born in Spokane WA on November 7, 1943 to Bernardine and Leo Nealen.  He is survived by his older sister Sr. Mary Kaye Nealen S.P. of Seattle and his younger brother Curtis Nealen (Anne) of Sunnyside WA, their son Peter (Carolyn) and grandson Henry of Three Forks MT and their daughter Sarah (Jeremy Watford) and granddaughter Josephine and grandson Aiden of Alexandria VA.

Mike earned a B.Ed. from Seattle University in 1968, worked at St. Joseph's Orphanage in Spokane, taught at Queen Anne School in Seattle and in 1983 was installed as Director of St. Anne's Catholic Charities Handicapped Services.  In 1980 he married Mary Louise Wood in Spokane with whom he moved to Tucson in or about 2000.  His beloved Mary Louise died in 2017.

Mike's professional career was as a social worker in various fields including, most recently, in senior care at Villa Maria Care Center in Tucson. In addition, he was a long-time volunteer at Southwest Medical Aid, a nonprofit which distributes supplies and repurposed equipment to the needy. He devoted his life to caring for others and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He was deeply religious, spending much of his recent years researching and writing on religious topics which he was eager to share with friends and colleagues.  He also had a great interest in the indigenous cultures of the Washington and especially Tucson areas. Trips to churches, shops, land formations, and animal habitats etc. brought joy and relaxation.  He never stopped learning and creating.

His parish was Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Tucson where he was an active member of its men's group.

A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 10:00 AM at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1300 N. Greasewood Rd., Tucson, Arizona with a reception to follow at the home of Karen and Bill Lane, 1040 N. Camino Miraflores , in Tucson (a 4 minute drive from the church)

A Rosary will be prayed at the church commencing at 9:15 AM

In lieu of flowers, consider a contribution to Villa Maria Care Center, Southwest Medical Aid or Handmaker Senior Living.