In Memoriam: Michael L. Hemler, associate professor of finance

Michael L. Hemler, associate professor of Finance at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, died Wednesday (Feb. 14) of natural causes. He was 64.

Hemler, who joined the Mendoza faculty in 1992, studied investments with an emphasis on financial derivatives. A former Kaneb Teaching Fellow, he taught derivatives, financial management and Applied Investment Management (AIM) classes. He earned two doctoral degrees—one from the University of Chicago and the other from Washington University in St. Louis—as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.S. from the University of Dayton.

“Mike was a personal friend, someone I’ve played tennis with for 18 years,” said Roger D. Huang, Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “He was always willing to help with department needs, from hosting prospective faculty to teaching the complicated subject of derivatives. Mike will be greatly missed on a personal and professional level.”

"Mike was my friend and colleague for over 25 years,” said Rick Mendenhall, chair of Mendoza’s finance department. “I never knew a nicer person or a professor who cared more about students. As his department chair for nearly a decade, Mike was a joy to work with. He not only accepted, but embraced every job I asked him to do. I will miss him greatly."

The Dayton, Ohio, native was born to the late Helen (Rose) and Charles Hemler. He is survived by his wife, Deb; his daughters, Suzanne, Megan and her partner Mike, and Michelle and her husband Pablo; his stepdaughter, Amanda Banik (Joe Esch); stepson, Andrew (Mary Elizabeth) Banik; his sisters, Carol (Larry) Quenette and Patricia Hemler; along with many nieces and nephews. Hemler was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Charlene Yungck.

Visitation will be at Welsheimer Family Funeral Home at 17033 Cleveland Road, South Bend, Indiana, from 4-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19. A celebration of Hemler's life will be held at Clay United Methodist Church, 52866 N. Ironwood Rd., South Bend, Indiana, on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Visitation will be from 6-7 p.m., with service beginning at 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association. Details for donation can be found at https://www.alz.org/indiana/in_my_community_donate.asp. Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com.