MICHAEL M. KLIKS

“I have more than a million bees
at my house, sometimes I sit down by my colonies with a glass of wine and watch little golden flickers of light come in and out, and I can’t help but marvel at them.” ~ Michael Kliks

Michael McKinnon Kliks was born on September 26, 1942, in Portland, Oregon to Bernard Brill Kliks and Margaret Ross Kliks. Michael died peacefully in his sleep on May 19, 2023, in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 80. He is survived by daughter Malissa “Coco”; stepdaughter Steffanie, and his wife of 30 years, Dolores Brockman.
Michael completed his undergraduate studies at Portland State University followed by a M.S at Tulane University and PhD in Parasitology at UC Berkeley. He was also the recipient of multiple Fulbright Scholarships: India (1983-84); Africa (1989-90); Kazakhstan (1994-95).
Michael published 17 research articles ranging from the molecular makeup of various honeys to the diagnosis and treatment of tropical parasitic infections. This research took him all over the globe including but not limited to Burkina Faso, Nigeria, India, Kazakhstan, and Thailand. He spent over 3 years in Chiang Mai, Thailand where he met his first wife, Srisakul “Susie” and brought their daughter “Coco” into the world.
After 12 years of international travel to conflict zones as a researcher and war photographer, it was time to settle down with Dolores in Hawaii on the Northern slopes of Manoa Valley.
For the next 40+ years of his life he returned to the love of beekeeping from his youth on the Oregon Coast and founded Manoa Honey Company. He performed swarm rescue services and tended apiaries all over Oahu. When he wasn’t in a Bee Suit, he was in a swimsuit at Point Panic body surfing with other Hawaiian masters.
Beekeeping ably served as Michael’s template for his border environmental activism including combating invasive species and pathogens that threaten Bees and our entire ecosystem. He was a lifelong member of the Sierra club as well as the Hawaii Beekeepers Association.
His myriad of experiences and accomplishments and legacy are summed up well with a quote from a feature article in August of 1999, in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. “I like to be connected to things”.

A Celebration of his Life will be held on Tuesday,
September 26, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
at the Ko’olau Ballrooms/Conference Center, Kaneohe.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests a charitable donation
to one of the following:
ACLU: Hawaii; Earth Justice: Mid-Pacific Office;
Hawaii Beekeepers Association; Sierra Club of Hawaii;
Southern Poverty Law Center