Homeless, rootless, but free: Man dies alone on cold night in FWB park

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“He’s one of those ones who wouldn’t go (to the shelter), but if you told him to go or gave him a ride, he’d go. I’ve spent a lot of time with Mike. Yes, I’ve taken him to jail but we also spent a lot of time talking about life.”

WENDY VICTORA @WendyVnwfdn

FORT WALTON BEACH — Motorists had become accustomed to the sight of “Sprite” Mike Wilson panhandling on the corner of Perry Avenue and U.S. Highway 98.

He was a frequent flyer at the Okaloosa County Jail, a regular at cold night programs and church dinners, and good-natured as long as he didn’t drink tequila.

But in the end, he died alone in a city park on a night when temperatures dropped into the low 30s. He was wearing several T-shirts, jeans, closed toed shoes and a jacket.

A cold night shelter was open that night across town at One Hopeful Place.

“He’s one of those ones who wouldn’t go (to the shelter), but if you told him to go or gave him a ride, he’d go,” said Fort Walton Beach Police Department Sgt. Candy Galindo, who had known him for years. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Mike. Yes, I’ve taken him to jail but we also spent a lot of time talking about life.”

She said that at 55, Mike had outlived his four closest friends, three of whom died on the streets — one of hypothermia. Mike, who’d been camping with him, found his body.

The fourth was ill and called EMS repeatedly, trying to make sure he didn’t die on the streets, leaving his friends to find his body. He died in a hospital.

Sprite Mike, whose full name was Michael Mario Wilson, had gone home several years ago to try to make it work with his family. Homeless advocate Yvonne Franklin had encouraged him to go and Galindo took him for a haircut and a shave and bought him a bus ticket.

Mike went home but called Franklin frequently and told her he was having a hard time. Both women encouraged him to stay and work things out. Everyone has problems with family, they told him. Coming back wasn’t a good option.

“I was like, ‘No, there’s nothing for him here, he’ll die out here,’” Galindo recalled.

But after his mother died, he came back to Fort Walton Beach and promptly got in trouble. Galindo said most of his arrests were for trespassing and public urination. He’d just gotten out of jail a few weeks ago.

Late Monday morning, not far from where Mike died in Sound Park, two of his acquaintances sat in the gazebo.

They said it was no secret that Mike was an alcoholic, who hid his booze in the Sprite bottle he carried around. Sprite Mike never asked for help, they said. Instead, he went out and “flew signs,” which is the way they describe panhandling.

He was a Navy veteran and, yes, he’d been arrested more than 100 times, they said.

They laughed remembering the “homeless wedding” at which he was supposed to be the best man. He got drunk and forgot, then caught a ride with Galindo to the event. But when he got there, he was too drunk to stand up, so one of them took his spot standing next to the groom.

“He had a good life out here and had friends,” Jerry McMurray said. “The only thing that hurts me is I didn’t get to see him (when he came back.)”

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