Michael O. Branche was born, July 28, 1963. He was the oldest of four children. His parents instilled in him at an early age that "We had to work hard for the things we considered valuable in life". Things we would consider valuable in life are very simple. To be always on time, to always do the very best you can do, and to always think of how you would feel if you were in the other person shoes. We also believe these were very strong characteristics in his church life. Those characteristics brought him much closer to God. These few values carried a long way in his life. You can hear it in everyone's testimony that knew him. Because he was a very involved parents, they were also heard through the stories he had about his children.

He had also had a knack for always fixing things, always trying to do his very best and of course he always knew how to fix it. He learned how to fix things while in high school; he was the teachers' favorite woodshop student. Also during his high school years he developed another passion, running track. With this passion he became a member of McNeese Track Team where he stayed in college for a year and later continued his education at Riverside Community College.

He joined the United States Army Reserves for three years then decided to enlist in the United States Air Force where he stayed for four year. After leaving the military he moved closer to home where he began working at the Houston Branch of AAR CORP and there he stayed for three years. In 2010, he joined the Lake Charles Branch of AAR CORP.

Michael was preceded in death by his biological father, Donald Thibodeaux; his great-grandmother, Mary Hughes; his grandparents Marie and Johhny Branche; his maternal grandfather, John Rene; his maternal great-grandfather, Paul Rene.

Mr. Branche is survived by his parents, Larry and Mary Rene Branche; his sister, DeLana Branche of Lake Charles, LA.; his two brothers, Larry (Kathy) Branche of Houston, TX., and Johnny (Kim) Branche of Waddell, AZ.; his two sons Jamie (Charity) Jennings of Birmingham, AL., and Tyrique Branche of Lake Charles, LA.; his daughter, Mekayla Branche of Lake Charles, LA.; one grandchild, Kenndi Jenning of Birmingham, AL.; along with a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends, co-workers, special friend Kawanda Dixon and a loving church.