It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce the passing of our dear brother, Mike Herrera. He lived as hard and fast as any one person could in his short amount of time. Mike Herrera was more than a singer and a guitar player. His life, interests, passions, and hopes surpassed his being a character in your favorite bar story. I know that for many, Mike’s memory will be inextricably linked to notions of a rock and roll lifestyle, a punk mentality, or some kind of tragic figure in a narrative of growing up in Denver. Mike, however, was so much more than all of that.

Those who were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with Mike know that he was an incredibly dimensional figure. Along with his passion for music, he was an accomplished artist and writer who had penned several manuscripts. What I always found fascinating about Mike was that these artistic endeavors were almost entirely for his own satisfaction. He rarely spoke of these projects, and almost never showed anyone what he was doing. He was contained within in his own private world.

This dimension of Mike would come out at strange moments. During long drives through the Midwest he would tell me about his love of the German philosopher, Nietzsche, the history and consequences of the occult on American popular culture, and his deep admiration of early Christianity. Although it’s not something he talked about openly, Mike was a spiritual individual. He had a reading knowledge of the Bible that rivals one with a PhD. He often explained to me the compatibility of Christianity with notions of social justice and progress.

He adored his mother and deeply admired his father. Further, he was fiercely loyal to his sister, and would have traveled to the end of the Earth for his friends. He was my friend, through every great and awful thing that happened to me and us, he remained my friend.

I don’t believe that the lifestyle for which we often associate with Mike was truly of his choosing or of his preference, nor was it an honest reflection of who he was. He was a quite, soft, and sensitive person. This is how I hope he is remembered.



Services for Mike​ will be held Monday, October 12th at 6pm.

Romero Family Funeral Home - Lakewood
1805 S. Sheridan Blvd.
Lakewood, CO 80232