Still alive, and reunited, after 37 years
Published: March 24, 2006
It was one of 2,000 records requests the Mesa police receive each month, but records administrator Karen Wolf never will forget Mike Higley’s cry for help in finding his long-lost father.
What started as Higley’s request for a police report on his father’s supposed 1976 death in a traffic fatality ended in a happy reunion after 37 years.
“It was the happiest day on the job that I will ever have, to have this big of an impact on someone’s life,” Wolf said.
In a couple of minutes, Wolf found Larry Krieger’s name on routine traffic-accident and vehicle-burglary reports from last year. His date of birth also matched.
She called Higley, of rural Leonardtown, Md., and suggested he put his father’s name into the dexonline.com Web site for Gilbert. Soon, father and son were talking to each other.
“She’s a wonderful lady who followed her instincts. We owe her so much, too,” said Krieger, 62, a retired police officer who referees high school and college basketball and football games.
The long separation was caused by deception from family members. Krieger also was told that his son died in a traffic accident.
They also had an inkling that the other was alive when they couldn’t find death records.
Both families are happy but stunned by the sudden developments, which culminated in Higley’s March 8 telephone call to Krieger’s wife, Joanie.
“It’s a very emotional, powerful and breathtaking experience,” Krieger said. “In the back of my mind, there was always the possibility that he might be alive.’
Higley , 43, was equally moved by the reunion.
“It definitely explains a lot of my character,” he said, noting that he and his father are both outgoing and have a similar sense of humor.
“It puts a lot of pieces of the puzzle in place,” Higley said. “You know who you are.”
Krieger last saw Higley when Higley was 6 years old. He divorced Higley’s mother in San Diego, then moved to Phoenix and to Mexico to build and drive racecars.
But both men concluded individually that the story of each other’s deaths didn’t add up and went looking for each other.
Now, they are planning a family reunion, probably in Maryland later this year.
“There will be a difference between talking to him and putting my arms around him,” Krieger said.
Father and son also said it makes no sense to dwell on the deception that drove them apart.
“Whatever happened, happened. It was 35 years ago,” Higley said.
And Krieger said, “this a great thing. We really want to enjoy it.’
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