Michael A. Ivy

Michael A. Ivy, affectionately known as “Big Sam”, was born on October 13, 1965, in Winter Garden, Florida, to Bobby Ivy and Dorothy Ivy. He attended Maxey Elementary School and furthered his education at the Ocoee Jr. High School. After graduating from high school, Michael pursued his passion for cooking. His love of food and cooking led him to discover just how much he loved the art of grilling and barbecuing. He would often help out at cookouts with friends as well as family cookouts and gatherings, cooking on the grill. From a young age, Michael took an interest in the outdoors. As a youth, he began mowing the lawns throughout the neighborhood. He later turned that interest into a career, working in lawn maintenance. Michael lived his life on his own terms. He was full of life and lived it to the fullest, chartering his own path. Always a jokester, he was one to make others laugh and was the life of the party. Family was everything to Michael. He enjoyed spending quality time with his family, dancing, and listening to music. He absolutely relished old school music and would listen to all the old tunes regularly. Michael also loved to explore and see new things and new places. Particularly, he had a passion for traveling and did so extensively, enjoying himself to the fullest. Any type of vehicle, as long as it had wheels that would move, was his travel method of choice. It was nothing for him to get an itch to take to the road for no rhyme or reason, calling back to announce his arrival to a new state and explorations along the way. Michael was preceded in death by his father, Bobby Ivy; brother, Sherman Ivy, and Kenneth Ivy. He leaves to cherish precious memories to his mother, Dorothy Ivy of Winter Garden, Florida; brothers, Rodrick Ivey of Winter Garden, Florida, and Tory Morss (Erica) of Clearwater, Florida; devoted sister, Doris Brooks of Winter Garden, Florida; his nephews: Avery Brooks II, Malcolm Brooks, both of Winter Garden, Florida, and Sherman J. Ivy, Jr. of Orlando, Florida; niece, Olivia Brooks of Ocoee, Florida; great niece, Jayda Brooks of Tallahassee, Florida; uncles: Jesse McAdory of Buckey, Arizona, John Haynes (Brenda) of Rock Islands, Illinois, Alex Ivy (Jeanie) of Oxford, Mississippi, and Eddie Ivy of Taylor, Mississippi; a special and devoted uncle, Hugh Ivy (Darlene) of Taylor, Mississippi; aunts: Lula Fay Hickman of Rock Island, Illinois, Margrett Mallett of Kosciusko, Mississippi, Frances Wright, and Shirley Wright, both of Kosciusko, Mississippi; spiritual mother, Hazel Rodgers Williams; spiritual sister, Marvelous Rodgers, devoted friends: Mike Rutland, Willie “Pop” Anderson, Jarves Morss, Jewan Kemp, and Jackie Davis; his devoted cousins: Nena Dae Jones, Vickie Brown, Gloria Windom, and a host of other loving relatives and friends.

Tributes

Michael A. Ivy

October 13, 1965 - March 24, 2026