Michael Raymond Naoki Adachi's Obituary
Michael Raymond Naoki Adachi (aka DJ MikeD) grew up in Nanakuli, HI, attended St. Joseph’s Parish School in Waipahu and Maryknoll High School in Honolulu before eventually finding his home at ’Aiea High School, ‘Aiea where he graduated. He came from humble beginnings, and despite many struggles, he built an amazing career as a musician often saying, “DJing saved my life.”
While he was widely known as a DJ, emcee, and meme connoisseur, Michael had many interests growing up including baseball, martial arts, golf, and drawing. He also had a deep love of media; he enjoyed shows like MacGyver, Daria, and Lord of the Rings, to video games on the NES and PlayStation, to watching sports broadcasts and imitating the announcers.
As a person, Michael was incredibly resourceful and had an insatiable curiosity. These traits allowed him to turn his passion into a life’s work. His interest in remixing began in high school, and at 16 years old he started working for the DJ company Mystical Sounds Production. That spark grew into a lifelong dedication to his craft. He continued to spin, create, and dive deeper into music, eventually becoming a mentor and leader to many aspiring musicians, and along the way, he took on roles as a manager and radio engineer.
Michael lived in multiple states throughout his life. Born in Honolulu, HI then moved to Las Vegas, NV, Atlanta, GA, and finally in Cleveland, OH. Michael had a rare gift for building community wherever he landed. Whether through DJ collectives, creative collaborations, or simply opening his door to like-minded people, he formed lasting friendships and created spaces where people could connect through music, creativity, and shared passions.
He also had a special place in his heart for children. He was especially excited about being an uncle and looked forward to sharing his humor, wisdom, and love of life with the next generation.
He leaves behind mother Mary Adachi, brother Christopher Adachi, sister-in-law Aziza Syed, and niece Chiara Adachi, along with his girlfriend Katie Miyoshi, BFF Christina Petre, and countless friends across the mainland and Hawaii.
Please join us for his celebration of life on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 from 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM, with a service at 6:30 PM at Jardine Funeral Home – 15822 Pearl Rd, Strongsville, OH 44136. After the event, there will be a later event at 9:00 PM at The Ivy – 1212 W 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44113.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the DJ Mike D Foundation in his honor: https://djmiked.org/
For those who are not able to attend, we do plan to livestream his service as well as a date and exact location TBD in Hawaii. For those who wish to view the live stream of his service, please tune into this link at 6:30 PM EST: https://vimeo.com/event/5805288/b90910100a
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