Michael Robert Vos

Michael Robert Vos, 63, passed away on August 23, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of brilliance, curiosity, and generosity that touched all who knew him.

Born on October 27, 1962, Michael was exceptional from the very beginning. A gifted student, he attended Roeper City and Country School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and went on to graduate summa cum laude from the University of Michigan with a degree in aerospace engineering. He began his career at Pratt & Whitney, where he worked on the retrofit and modernization program for the F-16 fighter jet. His work brought him into collaboration with some of the brightest engineers in the world, earning the admiration and respect of his colleagues for both his intellect and his abilities.

Michael then pursued an MBA at the University of Chicago, where he distinguished himself academically. He went on to join McKinsey & Company, beginning a new chapter in what would become a remarkable and varied professional life.

Over the years, Michael built a career defined by bold ideas, independence, and an entrepreneurial spirit. He founded Von Dutch Custom Cycles, delighting in the challenge of building and expanding its distribution, and later established himself as a highly sought-after independent management consultant, advising clients that included Microsoft, Apple, and Bedrock. His most recent endeavor, as a partner at Hydrofleet, reflected his enduring belief in what could be rather than simply what was: a vision for transforming long-distance trucking through hydrogen fuel-cell technology and renewable energy.

Yet Michael’s professional accomplishments tell only a small part of his story. He was a man of wide-ranging passions—boats, motorcycles, fast cars, and nearly anything that reflected excellence in engineering. He loved deep-sea fishing and found immense satisfaction in tinkering with engines and understanding the mechanics of how things worked. Though he often said, “I’m not brilliant, I’m just curious,” those who knew him understood that both were true: he possessed a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. An engineer by training and by temperament, Michael was never interested only in the way things were; he was endlessly fascinated by the way things could be.

Above all, Michael was defined by his heart. He was unfailingly generous—the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back without hesitation. He adored his two daughters and was deeply involved in their lives, even sharing in their academic journeys with characteristic enthusiasm, often reading their textbooks alongside them. His love for them was boundless.

Michael also leaves behind a remarkable and devoted circle of family and friends whose lives were enriched by his loyalty, humor, generosity of spirit, and unmistakable presence. He was, quite simply, someone people loved.

He is survived by his daughters, Madison Vos-Manassero, her husband Joshua Manassero of Orange County, CA, and Marley Vos of New York; his friend and former wife, Victoria Longobardi Vos of Orange County; his sister, Monique Vos Merrill of Savannah, Georgia; his niece, Lily Merrill Châtillon; and his two nephews, Taylor Cushman Merrill and Tristan Fears.