Mike Limberios: Hero

Anyone who knows me knows I have a huge interest in comic books and superheroes. I am fascinated with the idea of extraordinary people doing extraordinary things, and plus they're really fun to draw. They overcome the greatest adversities and challenges to fight for the greater good. It is truly inspiring. Batman and Superman are my two favorites, but I want to tell you about my real life hero.In the film "Man of Steel," Lois Lane asks Superman what the iconic "S" shield on his chest stands for."It's not an 'S,' on my world it means hope," Superman replies.Hope: The feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best.All the great heroes give us hope. They inspire us to be better people. They teach us how to love, how to care. That's the idea behind Superman's shield, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.That's how my real life hero, Mike Limberios, lived his life.Mike's son Jake was one of my closest friends. I never had anyone close to me die until that fateful night. It destroyed me. I dropped everything I was doing and came home from Columbus. When I walked into the garage at the Limberios home for the first time after Jake died I saw "Big Mike." I saw his eyes. I've never seen eyes like that before. They looked lost. I felt I had to comfort him in any way possible.That was the start of my friendship with the father of my friend Jake Limberios.Mike and I connected over music, movies and an eerily similar sense of humor. He was a 50-year-old man who acted like a 20-year-old, and quickly became a second father to me. He was always welcoming. He just cared about everyone and everything. He'd ask about our interests, our love lifes, our families, and he would comfort us in bad times.He comforted us even though our bad times were nothing compared to what he was going through.Like Batman, Mike shared a drive. He dedicated his life to the truth. He needed to know what happened to his son. He inspired us to help him find the truth. With Brady Gasser, the Wiedle family, Lonnie Siesel, and so many other people, we put together Justice For Jake and Ella. That Facebook page was our Superman shield;. It was our symbol, and behind it was Mike and his heart, his determination.This was a man who stopped at nothing to seek answers. His drive and dedication was so inspiring people would volunteer to help him seek justice. With that process, Mike, and all of us, made countless new friends.So many great things came from Mike's heart. He inspired other people who were wronged to fight to seek the truth about their loved-ones. So many people from across the globe tell their heartbreaking stories on our Facebook page. Trust me, Mike read all of them. He would be up at 4 a.m. reading how his fight has helped other families find closure, or seek answers.When the showing at Ransom Funeral Home began, I watched from the side as I saw hundreds of people coming to pay respects to Mike's wife Shannon and , Jake's brothers Michael and Zach, and the entire Limberios family. I've never seen anything like it. Not in our small town. It was surreal, and special.That was the impact of "Big Mike."Mike was the hero in our town. He fought for what he believed in and didn't take no for an answer. When the going got tough, he didn't give up. I have countless memories with him, but I'll never ever forget one particular phone call. I can't remember exactly what happened to trigger the conversation, but we were all excited for our campaign for Jake. I called him up to see how he was doing and I told him he was a hero."No, Codey. I'm not a hero," he said, but I kept repeating that he truly was."Codey, I am not a hero. You are the hero."That is "Big Mike." That is how he is going to be remembered.I'm going to miss him so much. He inspires. He loves. He gives us all hope.Hope.Like a real hero. My hero.Codey Dauch Castalia Nov. 11, 2014Editor's note: Jacob Limberios was killed March 2, 2012, inside a York Township home. The investigation by the Sandusky County sheriff's office was mishandled and Sandusky County coroner John Wukie incorrectly ruled the death a suicide, a ruling he refuses to correct. Mike Limberios, Dauch, Brady Gasser and Christine Wiedle established the Justice for Jake Facebook page, which has more than 21,000 followers. Mike Limberios, 51, died unexpectedly on Nov. 5. From left to right: Mike Wiedle, Tom Dean, Mike, Brady and Codey Dauch. /Photo provided.