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Michael Jamel Gresham began his journey on December 4, 1979 in New York City to William and Deborah Gresham. Aside from being a commercial baby level of cute, Michael had the intelligence to match. At age 8, Michael came home from a school trip to the stock exchange with pockets full of gifts. He managed to impress the stock brokers with his ability to read the wall street journal and identify high yielding stocks. At age 12, he came home with a trophy as tall as he was for breaking the record for highest math score in the 6th grade. As a teen, he amazed his little sister and cousins with his love of trains and his ability to understand the MTA signal grid at the West 4th Street station. He always knew when which train would arrive at what track. Although he sometimes didn’t finish his homework, his brilliance would continue to shine throughout his life.

After graduating high school, Michael enrolled in the Borough of Manhattan Community College, with the hopes of pursuing a career in computer science. Shortly after, he made the decision to sacrifice his educational career in order to support the start of his own family. His lingering love of trains led Michael to take the MTA conductors test, which he passed with a high score. He was put on the waitlist, and held a myriad of jobs in the interim that included building security, building fire safety director, bouncer and income tax preparer. After nearly 10 years of waiting, Michael finally received an offer to become a conductor for the MTA, to which he happily accepted. Within 3 years of accepting the position, he went on to take the more advanced test to become a train operator. While he was in training for the test, his peers gave him the nickname “whiz kid,” due to his ability to recall answers from the study materials practically verbatim. His children also took note, and saw his determination and rigorous study habits lead him to success. Michael passed the test, and held his dream position as a train operator during the last few years of his life.

Although his star dimmed far too early, he was blessed to have been witness to several milestones in his children's’ lives, including both of their high school proms and graduations. While he may not be here physically for the many milestones to come, we find solace in knowing that he will be watching us all from above.





He leaves not to mourn, but to celebrate his life, his life-long partner Joanne Olavarria-Gresham, his children Jamel and Jasmine Gresham, his mother Deborah Threatts, sisters Taryn Gresham-Carter (Stanley Carter Jr. and children Crystal, Hassan, Travis and Isaia), and Danielle Thompson, aunts Carol Threatts and Yvonne Threatts-Wright, uncles Roy Hollow and Mark Threatts, cousins Mark Anthony and Tiffany Threatts, Rahkeem, Deshaun and Jabril Wright, the Gresham family, the Olavarria family, and a host of extended family and friends.