Michael Eiswerth, stand-up comedian and data analyst, died May 31 of a heart attack. He was 46.
Eiswerth was a native of Pittsford, N.Y. He attended Pittsford High School before finishing his undergraduate degree at West Chester University and his MBA and MHA at the University of Pittsburgh.
Eiswerth volunteered as a Life Scout and Ambulance Explorer Scout during his time in Pittsford. Since his move to Philadelphia about 20 years ago, he joined the Spruce Street Singers and Voices of Pride.
Eiswerth worked as a data analyst at Cross MediaWorks. He also worked on the side as a stand-up comedian at clubs in Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York.
Eiswerth, or “Big Mike,” as some of his friends knew him due to his height, was a frequent visitor to The Bike Stop, said his close friend, Wayne Marquardt.
“I dance with Men on Tap and we rehearse every Monday at The Bike Stop and Mike used to stop in to play pool with us. He wasn’t a part of Men on Tap, but he joined our group and played pool with us.”
Marquardt said Eiswerth was someone who truly valued his time with his friends.
“Whenever you were with him, you were with him. He was not on his cell phone or thinking about other things. It was your time together and I think that he displayed that with everyone he knew,” he said. “If he had to buy a gift for a friend, sometimes that could take four or five stores to find the perfect card and gift.”
Eiswerth’s brother, Tom Eiswerth, said his brother had a wonderful sense of humor that everyone could appreciate, which added to his comedy performances.
“He had a dry, quick sense of humor,” he said. “He was very smart and very determined.”
Marquardt agreed and said it was easy for Eiswerth to find humor in situations.
“He had a witty but dry sense of humor. He wasn’t into going to the lowest common denominator to find something funny.”
Marquardt said Eiswerth was fond of coffee dates and was a true people person.
“He loved people watching and he loved life. We would sit out at a lot of coffee houses in the city and watch people go by,” he said. “One of the things that he gave to everyone was his attention. Few people really listen to their friends, but he was the best listener and when you were there with him, he was there for you.”
A celebration of life was held June 15 at the Continental Midtown Rooftop Bar.
Those who couldn’t make it, Tom said, can still honor his brother in a simple way.
“If anyone would like to do something, Mike was a pay-it-forward kind of guy, so do something nice for somebody else.”
In addition to Tom, Eiswerth is survived by parents Thomas and Andy Eiswerth, sister Debra and brother-in-law Daniel Carmody, nephews Sean and Luke and many good friends.