Husband, father, brother, son: Michael Joseph Head of Dallas died on Sunday, March 8th, 2015 at the age of 44. A native of Temple, a 1989 graduate of Temple High School and a 1997 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree in Art, Mike married Jennifer Thompson at the Texas Renaissance Festival on October 21st, 2000 They have one son, Elijah Miles, born October 16, 2007. Anyone spending any amount of time with Mike would notice almost immediately his wit, his sense of humor and his keen observations on human nature and humans, both general and specific. With a downright eclectic taste in things musical, literary and poetic, he was and remains unpigeonholeable. A lifelong artist, a fiercely competitive athlete, a devoted husband and father, a bit of a sage, a poet…Mike was all these and more. Though he's left us - far too early and far too young - he has also left behind for us quite a legacy: - The woman he loved and married, the son they had together and the life they created; - His search for truth and beauty across a staggeringly broad spectrum of human pursuits, both his and others; - His sometimes maddening but never boring stance as the Justified Man, and; - His friendship. A collection of his works will be on display at the memorial service. Mike is survived by his wife, Jennifer, their son, Elijah, both of Dallas; by his mother, Susan, of Temple; and by his brother, Gabriel, his wife, Amanda, and their children, all of whom live in San Antonio. Mike, in his own words: "I am a romantic: to me, realism is boring. While I am appreciative of the technical ability displayed in landscapes, portraiture or genre painting, an artist should have a higher function than to mirror nature." "Reality tastes of bread. Realism is taking the bread of our visual experiences and making a ham and cheese sandwich. Peanut butter, marshmallow cream and mango jelly sandwiches taste like imagination." "Imagination is uniquely man's and is better than the best copy of reality. It is important to note that you can't make any sandwiches without bread. Reality is the foundation for imagination." "In my work, I am striving to make a peanut butter, marshmallow cream and mango jelly sandwich." "Making YOUR mark is important. Many people who feel unconfident in their artistic skills are secret doodlers. Doodling communicates thought as much if not more than some boring realistic landscape. Send me your doodles if you cannot write. I can read doodles as well if not better than anything else - I've been trained!" "I'm a visionary, ahead of my time, the only problem is that I'm only about fifteen minutes ahead…if you see the girl with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair tell her I'm looking for her. Until next time, may the Force be with you. Love, Mike." A memorial service celebrating the life of Michael Joseph Head will be held at 3:30 P.M., Thursday, March 12, 2015 at ARIA Memorial Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests interested parties to please consider a donation to a college fund for Michaels son, Elijah, which has been established online and can be accessed here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UFX6KDZ4K29PY Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700