– Michael Stanley Prokop
– (January 23, 1966 – November 9, 2025)
Victoria and the Sauder School of Business community are mourning the sudden loss of Michael Stanley Prokop on November 9, 2025. Mike passed away peacefully in the Cardiac Care Unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital at age 59, surrounded by the love and the quiet strength that defined his entire life.
Born January 23, 1966 in Toronto to Lynne Barbet and Cliff Gilmore, Mike grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and Barrie, Ontario, where spring road trips and long summer days on the family cottage shaped his lifelong love of the outdoors. Whether circling the bay in his little aluminum boat or hiking Vancouver Island trails later in life, Mike always felt most at home under an open sky.
A natural leader from the start, Mike was elected Class President throughout his Economics degree at the University of Waterloo (’90) and his MBA at the University of British Columbia (’94). That same steady confidence carried him through more than 30 years as a management consultant and program manager, where colleagues trusted his calm judgment and clients valued his clear thinking and genuine care.
Mike had a gift for making everyone feel important. He listened intently, remembered the details that mattered, and offered help without ever asking for recognition. Whether mentoring a junior colleague, organizing a group hike, or simply checking in with an old friend, he lived the meaning of his birth name “Darryl” – beloved.
Family and friends were Mike’s greatest joy. He leaves behind his mother Lynne, father Cliff (predeceased), stepmother Mary, siblings, nieces, nephews, and a wide circle of chosen family across Canada who will miss his easy laugh, thoughtful advice, and the way he made every gathering better just by being there.
Victoria has lost a quiet giant of kindness and competence. Michael Stanley Prokop spent his life lifting others up, whether in the boardroom, on a trail, or around a campfire telling stories. His memory will live on in every life he touched and every person he inspired to lead with heart.
A celebration of Mike’s life will be held in the coming weeks, with details to be shared by the family. Until then, his loved ones keep his spirit close, grateful for the gift of a man who truly lived as “beloved.” Rest easy, Mike. The boat is waiting, and the bay is calm.