Michael Baggerly, a chef at UIS since 2000, died on Feb. 18 at the age of 59 at Springfield’s Memorial Medical Center after having battled health issues for several years.

Solid quality, consistency, and dependability were a few words Howard Seidel, the executive chef at UIS, used to describe Baggerly as both a person and a chef.

“He was very, very entrenched as a cook. [He] loved to cook, loved to make good food for people, loved to please people with his food,” Seidel said.

Jay Chaplin, another chef at UIS, knew Baggerly for 40 years after meeting each other during their senior year at Glenwood High School in Chatham.

Baggerly and Chaplin began working at UIS together in 2000.

According to Chaplin, Baggerly previously held positions as a manger of a restaurant in Chatham, as well as cooking jobs at the Sheridan Inn in Springfield and the Holiday Inn in Jacksonville.

“Mike did the best that he could every single day. He was just in a lot of pain, he was hurting,” Chaplin said.

Although Baggerly faced medical problems, it did not affect his performance in the kitchen.

“He was a trooper. It didn’t make any difference how he felt; when he was needed he buckled right down,” Chaplin said.

Chaplin also highlighted Baggerly’s ability to work with others in the kitchen.

“He was a team player. Like I said, Mike struggled a lot with his health, so he would have good days and bad days but… if there was a lot of stuff going on and he was having a bad day then he would still pick it up,” Chaplin said.

According to Chaplin, Baggerly was skilled in beef dishes and was not afraid to try anything new. Baggerly also enjoyed fixing different types of international food.

“He liked doing some more international things when he had opportunities. When he was doing Showtime he usually would do Latin [American] and Spanish dishes. He would always be looking for some more international type items,” Seidel said.

Baggerly also fixed different types of international dishes that UIS Food Services had previously not tried before.

“It seemed like when we were trying to find something to cook, [Baggerly] would start digging and he’d pull up a recipe of something international and he would pull something out of the blue and give it a try,” Seidel said.

Baggerly not only cooked at Showtime, he also was instrumental in cooking food for the Cook’s Nook and for the UIS catering service.

During his time working for the university, Baggerly witnessed much transition with UIS, as well as much change in the field of cuisine.

“He was here when it was Sangamon State, so he’s been here with not only the changes with the university and the university’s growth, but changes in food trends and cuisine,” Seidel said.

Both Chaplin and Seidel expressed that they were more than just typical coworkers with Baggerly.

“We’re a team, that’s for sure, but more family than coworkers,” Chaplin said.

Baggerly not only had an impact on his colleagues in Food Services, but also on many people whom he served through his work as a chef.

“Thousands of people or more were able to have an enjoyable meal because of something he did, something he put together. His diligence and abilities and his passion made a lot of people happy with his food; he’ll be missed,” Seidel said.

Outside of the kitchen, Baggerly enjoyed ‘70s rock, jazz music, and had a passion for many different types of automotive racing.

Baggerly is survived by his daughter Cayla, who is a former UIS volleyball player and a 2012 graduate from the university. Baggerly also is survived by his son, Christopher, and his grandson, Braxton.

Baggerly’s visitation will be held on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bramley Funeral Home in Auburn.