Michael J. Bastine
Michael J. Bastine, age 70, of Naples, Florida, passed away on March 26, 2026, in Ventura, California. He was born on March 29, 1955, in Findlay, Ohio, to Arthur and Eula Bastine.
Mike attended The Ohio State University and began his military career in 1978 as a pilot in the United States Air Force. He later transitioned into Space Command and retired from the Air Force in 1995.
After retiring from the Air Force, Mike dedicated the next chapter of his career to helping others through education and workforce development. He began at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, where he administered a program designed to give students meaningful workforce experience and help prepare them for employment.
He later joined Ventura College, where he served as director of an alternative text production center. There, he helped ensure that blind and visually impaired students had access to textbooks and other educational materials in Braille and other accessible formats.
Mike's commitment to creating opportunities for others continued with the Uniquely Abled Project, where he served as a board member and became a passionate advocate for its mission. He helped launch the Uniquely Abled Academy at College of the Canyons, which provides career training and employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals. Mike played an important role in helping expand the academy model to other colleges by sharing its mission and values and encouraging other institutions to create similar opportunities. He continued his work with Uniquely Abled through the end of 2025, when declining health led him to step away.
Mike married Linda White in 1976, and together they had two children, Tyler and Erin. He was a devoted and fun-loving father who cherished his children and the time they spent together. He brought his sense of humor and adventurous spirit to fatherhood, creating memories and experiences that his children will carry with them always. He is deeply missed by Tyler and Erin, who are grateful for the love, laughter, and life they shared with their dad.
Mike had an adventurous spirit and loved being active. He surfed, snowboarded, swam, skated, played pickleball, and was always willing to try something new. He approached life with curiosity and a willingness to learn, and he rarely seemed content to simply sit on the sidelines.
What Mike enjoyed most was people. He loved his family and friends and was known for bringing people together and hosting gatherings. His sense of humor, curiosity, generosity, and love of adventure made him someone people enjoyed being around. He had a way of making life feel like something to participate in rather than simply observe.
Throughout his life, Mike believed in the importance of giving people opportunities to contribute and to be part of something meaningful. After his Air Force career, he devoted his professional life to helping students gain the education, resources, tools, and real-world experience they needed to find their place in the workforce. His work opened doors for people who might otherwise have struggled to find them.
Mike is survived by his son, Tyler, his daughter, Erin, and their mother, Linda.
A burial service will be held at Maple Grove Memorial in Findlay, Ohio, on September 19 at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of life will be held on October 10 at 1:00 p.m. at Social Tap Ventura, 1105 S. Seaward Ave., Ventura, CA 93001.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mike's memory to the Uniquely Abled Project, an organization whose mission reflected so much of what he cared about.
Donate to the Uniquely Abled Project.
Mike lived with curiosity, humor, adventure, and a deep belief in the potential of other people. He was a devoted father, a loyal friend, an advocate for those who needed someone in their corner, and someone who believed in opening doors for others. His legacy lives on in the people he loved, the opportunities he created, and the many lives he touched. He will be deeply missed.