Michael Wallace, 73, of Bokeelia, Florida passed away on September 14th at the Vitas Hospice Inpatient Unit in Fort Myers, Florida. Born on July 21, 1953 in Niagara, NY, Michael was the second son of Robert and Patricia Wallace. He was preceded in death by his parents, one niece and one nephew. Michael is survived by his partner in life and business, Christine Lindsey, brother Robert Wallace (Estelle), sisters Linda Chaplin (William), Patricia Snyder (James), and Colleen Martin (James) along with seven nieces and nephews.

Michael moved to Puerto Rico with his family as a teenager and spent over a decade in St. Croix fishing and diving as a career. Eventually he transitioned to the apparel and textile industry where he got to experience living in Indonesia and Turkey while traveling to many other countries for work and pleasure.

Once settling on the barrier island, Pine Island, in Southwest Florida, Michael began to grow the various fruits and vegetables he had been exposed to around the world that tolerated a sub-tropical climate. In 2010, Michael and Christine 'The Sprout Queen' Lindsey began to build their farm business Pine Island Botanicals. For over a decade Michael sold, shared, and taught customers either at farmers markets, garden clubs, or onsite farm tours what he had learned or experienced in his worldly travels. He expanded people's 'horizons' by offering samples of fruits, leaves and flowers picked fresh or 'twists' to recipes such as mustard pesto, tomato/papaya salsa, and blackbean hummus.

Donations in Michael's name can be made to www.pineislandcommunitychurch.com