Michael K. Ratzenberger
April 3, 1989 ~ April 18, 2021
Michael K. Ratzenberger passed away on April 18, 2021. He was born on
April 3, 1989, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Vienna, VA. Mike loved his family and friends, animals, music, and humor. His main passion was sports, and he was a lifelong fan of all the Washington teams, as well as the Liverpool soccer club in the English Premiere League. He pursued educational opportunities to have a future behind the scenes of his favorite teams. After graduating from James Madison High School in Vienna in 2007, he graduated with honors from the Isenberg School of Business at UMass-Amherst in 2011 with a B.S. in Sports Management. In 2014 he got a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA, with a Sports Law Certification, and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar. He went on to get an advanced degree from the Sports Law and Business Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2015. His happiest day was when he landed his dream job at Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington. D.C., where his position enabled him to explore his interests in both sports law and business.
Mike was involved in a number of charities, most recently Sports Biz CARES, which seeks to create career opportunities for individuals who are passionate about sports and currently underrepresented in the sports business. He was the market leader for Sports Biz Care’s Washington DC camps and activities, working tirelessly to connect young people from the DC Metro area to personal and professional development opportunities in sports and education.
Mike is survived by his parents, Jim and Sheila Ratzenberger of Vienna, his sister Emily Ratzenberger McNeill and brother-in-law Aaron McNeill of Falls Church, and loving family and friends across the country, all of whom will miss him dearly.
There will be a Celebration of Life event in remembrance of Mike on May 17 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Avenue W., Vienna, VA 22180. Alternatively, those unable to attend can view a portion of the event live-streamed at 7:30 p.m. and sign the family guestbook at www.moneyandking.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sports Biz scholarship fund established in his name at
Michael Ratzenberger Memorial Scholarship
April 3, 1989, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Vienna, VA. Mike loved his family and friends, animals, music, and humor. His main passion was sports, and he was a lifelong fan of all the Washington teams, as well as the Liverpool soccer club in the English Premiere League. He pursued educational opportunities to have a future behind the scenes of his favorite teams. After graduating from James Madison High School in Vienna in 2007, he graduated with honors from the Isenberg School of Business at UMass-Amherst in 2011 with a B.S. in Sports Management. In 2014 he got a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, CA, with a Sports Law Certification, and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar. He went on to get an advanced degree from the Sports Law and Business Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2015. His happiest day was when he landed his dream job at Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington. D.C., where his position enabled him to explore his interests in both sports law and business.
Mike was involved in a number of charities, most recently Sports Biz CARES, which seeks to create career opportunities for individuals who are passionate about sports and currently underrepresented in the sports business. He was the market leader for Sports Biz Care’s Washington DC camps and activities, working tirelessly to connect young people from the DC Metro area to personal and professional development opportunities in sports and education.
Mike is survived by his parents, Jim and Sheila Ratzenberger of Vienna, his sister Emily Ratzenberger McNeill and brother-in-law Aaron McNeill of Falls Church, and loving family and friends across the country, all of whom will miss him dearly.
There will be a Celebration of Life event in remembrance of Mike on May 17 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Avenue W., Vienna, VA 22180. Alternatively, those unable to attend can view a portion of the event live-streamed at 7:30 p.m. and sign the family guestbook at www.moneyandking.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sports Biz scholarship fund established in his name at
Michael Ratzenberger Memorial Scholarship
The Owners and Staff at the Money and King Funeral Home, wish to express our sincere sympathy to you. It is our hope that we may be able to make a difficult time more bearable. Please feel free to call us anytime as we are always available to you. Bob Gallagher Funeral Director
I had no idea of Mike’s passing until now. All I can say is that he was a wonderful person and one of my best friends growing up. I’ll cherish our memories of watching movies, playing sports and videogames, and goofing off together. He had a way of making all of us crack up with his Homer Simpson impressions. To his family, I am so, so sorry. Please excuse my absence for his memorial, as I am living overseas. You raised an amazing kid who was the epitome of kind and polite. I am so lucky to have had Mike as a friend. I really don’t have the words to express how much Mike’s friendship meant to all of us. He was just the perfect childhood friend. He was a sweetheart to everyone and I don’t have a single bad memory of him. While it breaks my heart to find this out, I’m sure Mike is draining threes in heaven. Hang there in family. Mike lives on in all of us.