Michael Austin Heitzke, 37, passed away on September 21, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was born on October 8, 1985, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He is survived by his parents, Steve and Debby Heitzke of Boerne, Texas; his sister Kerstin Heitzke of Brooklyn, New York; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Mike graduated from Boerne High School in 2004, and from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2008 with a degree in graphic design. He was a gifted UX designer, with more than 13 years of experience, and was involved in product strategy and design, design management, and team growth.

He led UX design teams for companies including Asurion, and most recently HashiCorp. He was Heitzke a part-time mentor on ADPlist, where he was voted one of the Top 100 most impactful mentors for the past two years.

He offered career advice, portfolio review and general design feedback to aspiring and experienced designers. He was an exceptional people manager and wanted to see his friends and colleagues succeed.

Mike loved everything about cars. He enjoyed modifying his BMW M4 and his Mustang Cobra, and was an ambassador for car enthusiasts.

His interests spanned volumes. He loved watches, and partnered with a good friend and colleague to develop WatchBox, an online application for buying and selling luxury watches.

He was always the most interesting person in the room and had a sensational laugh and an even better sense of humor. He was kind, showed up for his people, and loved intensely. The world has lost one of its most unique souls. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023, in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Boerne. All who knew and loved Mike are invited to attend and celebrate his life.

A reception is following in the church family life center. Donations in Mike’s memory may be made to East Nashville Hope Exchange @ enhopeexchange.org.