Michael W Leibowitz

 Michael W Leibowitz, 71, of Charleston, S.C., passed away unexpectedly on July 25, 2024, in Bar Harbour, Maine. 

Born in Madison, Wis., on May 12, 1953, he was the son of Eileen Leibowitz and the late Herschel Leibowitz, of State College, Pa. Michael grew up in Madison and State College – where he notably skipped the fifth grade at Radio Park Elementary – and later earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He settled in Charleston in 1979, where his proudest accomplishments, his children, were born.

 In addition to his mother, he is survived by his daughters, Rebecca Leibowitz Engel (Aaron) and Abigail Leibowitz (Joe Nierstedt), and grandchildren, Hirsh Leibowitz Pearson, Thea Pearson, Edith Engel, and Sophia Engel, all of Charleston. He is also survived by his sister, Marjorie Leibowitz Milgrub (Rick), of State College, as well as nieces and nephews who all have an appreciation for Mike’s unique “Leibo-worthy” humor.

 Anyone who met Mike learned immediately that he loved telephones, airplanes, traveling, and trivia (and, of course, his family). He built a successful career on his love for telephones, beginning with his opening of a telecommunications store at Charleston’s Citadel Mall. In 1982, he founded Call Experts, which he grew into an international, award-winning answering service that was named to the Inc5000 list for growth and company size.

 Mike was a leader in National Amtelco Equipment Owners (NAEO), Canadian Call Management Association (CAM-X), and Association of Teleservices International, Inc. (ATSI), as well as a valued mentor, colleague, and friend to an international network of telecommunications professionals. He was the author of the software programs Voicelogger, Billing Link, and Web Portal, used by call service centers, and was part of a Bell Labs patent.

 Mike served two terms as president of both CAM-X and NAEO. In 2013, he won the Tom Ryan Award for Ethics, Integrity, and Quality Above All presented by CAM-X and in 2017 was named to the CAM-X Hall of Fame. He was also named to the NAEO Hall of Fame.

 Before he turned his love for all things telephone into a career, he began another lifelong love affair, with aviation. As no average teenager was inclined to do, Michael decided to pursue his pilot’s license after his parents vetoed a motorcycle. He started flying in 1969 and logged countless flights throughout the United States and Canada.

 He was known to make weekend trips to visit family and friends – and to participate in races. In 2022, he ran 70 5Ks, and in 2023, he ran 74 races. His running adventures took him to England, Asia, many U.S. states, and even Antarctica. His running motto, which he shared in his frequent post-race Facebook photos, was, “If I can do it, so can you!”

 Michael’s love for trivia was also well known. He had particular expertise in history (every possible era!), geography, U.S. presidents, and British royalty. When he took cruises with his family, he managed to convince everyone – even the kids – to participate in the cruise ship trivia games to ensure his team would win the coveted plastic trophy.

 Cruising was just one part of Michael’s expansive travel repertoire. He traveled to all seven continents and 170 + countries. He would joke that he was competing with Hillary Clinton for the highest number of countries visited. Favorite trips included Camino de Santiago (walked it twice), the Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica. He had numerous friends and business colleagues in Canada and visited there so often that he considered himself an honorary Canadian, eh!

 No tribute to Michael would be complete without noting his philanthropism. In addition to giving generously to any cause in which his family was involved, he was a supporter of the Charleston Jewish Federation and Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, and supported Ronald McDonald House, Lowcountry Children’s Center, and many others through his work and races. He also volunteered his time to fly cancer patients to their treatments, when he undoubtedly lightened the mood with some Leibo-worthy humor.

Being weird was a badge of honor for Michael. In honor of his love for weird times, the funeral service will begin at 10:03 a.m. on Wednesday, July 31, at Synagogue Emanu-El, 5 Windsor Drive, Charleston, and will be livestreamed at https://venue.streamspot.com/event/NDkzMzI0Mg==

Individuals wishing to make a contribution in Michael’s memory may visit https://callexperts.com/michael/

Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Downtown Chapel, 232 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401