Michael “Big Mike” Benjamin Friedman

Michael Benjamin “Big Mike” Friedman, age 64, of Navarre, Florida, passed away on Thursday, July 17, 2025, after a fourteenth-month battle with AML. 

Mike was born on April 27, 1961, in San Bernardino, California, to Myron Soloman Friedman and Kay Dorin Stemple. He is survived by his wife of thirty-one years, Jona, and daughter, Madison. Additional survivors include his stepmother, Amy Friedman; sister, Sharon (Dave) Johnson; half-sister, Kelli Friedman; half-sister, Stephanie Friedman; stepsister, Shanna Valentine; sister-in-law, Cyndializ Friedman; sister-in-law, Lisa (Jim) Curry; brother-in-law, Phil (Allison) Bettelon; and many nieces and nephews. Mike was preceded in death by his mother, Kay Stemple; brother, Stephen Friedman; and father, Myron Friedman.

Mike served twenty years in the United States Air Force from July 1981 until his retirement in August 2001. He spent many of those years locally at Hurlburt Field. Throughout his career he earned the Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Air Force Good Conduct Medal, to name a few. 

At the time of his passing, Mike was serving as a Property Analyst Manager for Lockheed Martin. He was blessed to work for this wonderful company for twenty-three years, and had continued to work as much as his illness would allow until the very end.

Mike’s love for softball was evident throughout his entire adult life. He played on the All Military Airlift Command team for several years in the early 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, he was selected to play on the All Air Force Softball Team seven times from 1992 to 1999, winning three gold medals and two silver medals. During that time, he was selected to the All Armed Forces Softball Team several times, and earned some All Tournament selections. Mike's other hobbies included weightlifting, and his love of the Florida State Seminoles football team. 

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Davis Watkins Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida with a gathering to follow at a local restaurant. In honor of Mike’s love for the Noles, please feel free to wear your favorite garnet and gold attire.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mike’s memory to the O’Neal Cancer Center at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. The family would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses at the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center and Ascension Sacred Heart Cancer Center in Pensacola, as well as Davis-Watkins Funeral Home.

https://www.onealcanceruab.org/giving/#