Michael Alan “Mick” Birge, age 57, of Jasper, Indiana, died on Tuesday morning, August 15, 2017, at his home. He was born in Jasper, Indiana, on November 6, 1959, to Jerry and Margaret (Blueher) Birge. He married Starlene Allerellie on August 7, 1987, in Lawrenceville, Illinois.
Mick was a 1978 graduate of Jasper High School, a defensive end for the Wildcats’ 1976 and 1977 state football runner-up teams, and a 1982 graduate of Franklin College, where he played football and baseball. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper and the Jasper German Club. He earned numerous honors during a long career in radio and television in Kemmerer, Casper, and Laramie, Wyoming, Lawrenceville, Illinois, Evansville, Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Jasper. He was the television basketball play-by-play announcer for the University of Evansville and radio basketball play-by-play announcer for Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis.
After working for a number of years for the statewide Wyoming Radio News Network, he returned to Jasper in 2010 as radio and TV news director for Dubois County Broadcasting before creating and serving as CEO of his own online television news and sports station, NewsNow Dubois County, which is also featured on area Spectrum Cable systems.
He is survived by his wife, Starlene Birge, his parents Jerry and Margaret Birge, Jasper, IN, two sons, Adam Birge and fiancé Rachael Woodward, Indianapolis, and David Birge, a senior at the University of Southern Indiana, one daughter, Antoinette Birge, a sophomore at Ball State University, one brother, Joe Birge and wife Jill, Brentwood, Tennessee, five sisters, Joan Little and partner Dan Wilhite, Evansville, IN, Marlene Cocchetto and husband Alan, Fairview, PA, Marilyn Scherer and husband Doug, Zionsville, IN, Marcia Rhodes and husband Ron, Newburgh,IN, and Jennifer Birge, Jersey City, NJ, and a number of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Friends may call from 2:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, August 18, 2017, at the Becher-Kluesner Downtown Chapel in Jasper. A parish rosary will be prayed at 1:45 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Funeral services for Mick Birge will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 19, 2017, at St. Joseph Church in Jasper, with burial following in Fairview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Mick Birge Scholarship Fund in care of Dubois County Community Foundation, 600 McCrillus St., Jasper, IN 47547.
Online condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner.com.
