Michael James Trafton was born on July 31, 1970, to Dorothy Louise Rosamond (Dot) and John Gregory Trafton, III (Jack). He grew up in Alvin, TX — the home of Nolan Ryan, as he would tell just about anyone who hadn’t heard of Alvin before. In elementary school, when there were three Michaels in the same class, he took the name Mikey to distinguish himself, and that’s who he has been ever since. Mikey graduated from Rice University in 1992. His years at Rice marked the beginning of his favorite chapter in life — one in which he felt accepted and valued by others who shared similar interests and achievements, and where he made close, lifelong friends.
Mikey distinguished himself early in his career by starting his own company at the age of 29, creating custom software solutions for name-brand clients like American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Bausch + Lomb, and Wells Fargo. He forged his own path through what he learned, who he met, and how he structured his company. Mikey loved to engineer ideas — honing in on the problem to be solved, listening to the ideas of others in the room, and analyzing each idea from multiple angles. He was meticulous in researching details to ensure the accuracy and feasibility of his proposals, keeping handwritten notebooks beside his bed and desk to capture his thoughts and refine his plans. He would get so excited about his ideas that others couldn’t help but join him in his enthusiasm. But of all his early accomplishments, he was most proud of the team he built at Blue Fish. And it was truly an extraordinary team. One of Mikey’s greatest legacies is the group of people he gathered together, who still have a bond today — most say it was the best team they had ever been a part of.
After Blue Fish, Mikey started a few other companies before joining Alamo Drafthouse as Chief Technology Officer, joining Rice friends Tim and Karrie League in the leadership of Alamo’s strategic growth across the country. As Tim says, “He was passionate about the consistency of the queso, the crispness of the center-channel treble, the warmth of the concierge greeting, and the perfect balance of sweet, sour and bitter in a finely crafted cocktail. He obsessed about every detail of the Alamo experience.” After the pandemic, Mikey and Tim started a new venture, the soon-to-launch Metro Cinema in New York. He never was a part-time watermelon farmer as he claimed tongue-in-cheek in a local Austin magazine.
Aside from his many career accomplishments, playing bass guitar with the Allen Oldies Band, led by Allen Hill, was one of Mikey’s claims to fame. Mikey liked to say this was one area of his life where he could show up, take directions, have a great time, and go home happy. Usually singing backup vocals in addition to playing bass, Mikey was all about the energy. During each set, though, he came forward to lead vocals for his Elvis tribute, “Burning Love.”
Mikey is remembered by his wife and kids for his quick wit, his effusive expressions of love and his ability to win at every board game the family tried to best him at. He had a ton of great ideas — a requirement for tight hugs, making eye contact as you clink glasses in a toast, and being a good roommate to your family, cleaning up your stuff and yourself. When told that these were good ideas, he’d agree: “I’m full of them!” Mikey famously loved to embarrass his kids by shouting “ca-CAW, ca-CAW” in crowded spaces to let them know he was there — from concert halls and marching band fields, to birthday party pick-ups and lacrosse fields. Mikey’s perfect birthday was eating homemade dacquoise (which he dubbed “Duck Quack”) and tubing the Comal.
Mikey is preceded in death by his parents, Dot and Jack.
Mikey is survived by the love of his life, Charlotte, and their two children, Owen and Meredith, his mothers Miriam Kass (Roger) and Lynn Townsend, his brothers Greg (Paula) Trafton and their children, Elena, Maia, and Jack; Scott (Omme) Trafton and his daughter Lena; Jonathan (Leslie) Silberberg and their children Ray and Sidney; Adam Silberberg, and his sisters Wendy (Bill) and Anne (Brian) Rosamond, as well as many Rustin cousins and their families.
A service of witness to the resurrection will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX on Thursday, May 1, at 3:30 pm. There will be an option for online viewing of the service as well at this link. Contributions to the family may be given here.