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Tributes to Mike…
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Safe travels, Big Mike. We all adored you.
Tom and I are so very sorry to hear about the loss of Mike.
Even though we didn’t see each other often I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know your Dad during visits to Uncle Angus’ in Vancouver, family reunions and his visits to Alberta. I think it was Uncle Angus’ 80th birthday, we gathered at his place to celebrate. I had a new born baby and he slept the afternoon away listening to bag pipes. Also at Uncle Mickey’s funeral we all went out for dinner and celebrated his life with a toast – fitting for Uncle Mickey. And also at Colleen’s wedding.
I’m sure you have heard this many times what a special person he was. Four years ago we celebrated my Dad’s 80th birthday and Mike and Gay came all the way to Westlock to help celebrate. They arrived the day before the party so I had them and some other cousins for a smaller gathering at our home and surprised Mom and Dad, who didn’t know they were coming. We had such a great visit that night with just a few of us, as the next day’s party was very busy with lots of other guests. It was great to have them all to ourselves. Your Dad took such interest in our boys who are very involved in their sports, hockey, football (of course) and lacrosse. He asked me to keep him posted on their sports. Later that year I sent a Christmas card to your parents updating them as he had asked. Shortly after we received the loveliest note back from your Dad, congratulating the boys on their accomplishments and offering encouragement to them. I will always treasure that.
Again we are so sorry for your loss, I’m sure this is such a difficult time for all of you. I hope you find some comfort knowing so many people care. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.
Vic and I had the good fortune to work with Mike at Kidder. In fact, he hired both of us and became a mentor, valued colleague and trusted friend. We were shocked and saddened to hear of Mike’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers to Gay and the entire family.
Gay, Colleen and Family
We are very sorry for the loss of Mike. Enjoy working with Mike professionally and traveling with both of you on trips to Europe Jerry & Sue.
There are few really great men and Mike was certainly one of them. With Mike you knew the right thing would be done. He knew sports, he knew finances, he knew politics, he knew business, he knew how to be a man, he knew how to have fun, he knew a joke. Many many people felt so confident in Mike we trusted a big part of our lives to him and his familiy’s care. He could flash one the worlds best smiles.
I send my sympathy to Gay and to his family. I will miss him greatly.
Don Chilson MD
Dear Gay, Kim, and family,
We were so sorry to hear of Mike’s sudden passing. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and an excellent friend. He will be greatly missed. We feel privileged to have known him. May the happy memories you have of Mike help to always keep him close to you in mind and heart.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Tony, Mary-Ann, Stefan, and Franco Micale
He was a good man. It was a wonderful life.
Auntie Gay, Kim, Michael, Colleen and Families – Words cannot express how sorry we are to lean of Uncle Mike’s passing. Thankfully, you all (and us too) have years of wonderful memories and experiences to cling to during these times. Mike had the unique talent and ability to say the right thing, at the right time, and for the right occasion. Thankfully, I suffer from the condition of having several wonderful Uncles but Mike’s presence will be sorely missed. I’ll share one story that I think epitomizes Uncle Mike. Snowing hard one Saturday, we decided to go skiing at Mt. Spokane – Mike the pro and me the novice. Uncle Mike had just gotten a new pair of skis (RD Coyotes – I think) which he had been coveting for quite some time. This was his first run on them.. We went up the chair lift and started back down with him flying fast. He waited for me at the bottom of the hill. Tons of snow on the ground. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to catch up to him and spray him with a “hockey style” stop. The snow was deep . . . and wet. I tried but I couldn’t stop, ran into him, over his new skis and we both wound up in the snow bank. Silence. I wondered whether he was okay. Then I wondered how much I was going to have to pay to fix his skis. More silence until he erupted in unstoppable laughter to the point where we both were crying. Our love and our sincere prayers go to all of you. The Morgans
When I was a kid, Mike and Gay spent a fair amount of time in Sun Valley during the summer playing polo (as we did in Spokane). What I remember most is that Mike knew me and took the time to talk to me rather than simply looking past me as many other adults around the polo fields did. To him, I wasn’t just another kid running around. He told me jokes, laughed at mine and was always genuinely interested in what I had to say. That’s just the kind of person he was. Thank you Mike.
Dear Gay and Family,
It was good to hear your voice on the phone. We were so shock to hear of Mike’s passing. We always think of you and Mike with affection. We cherish the little time we had together.
We will remember Mike for the kind and lovely human being that he was. In Doug’s heart, Mike was the brother he never had.
May the good Lord give you and your family strength and comfort in this difficult time.
Love,
Olivia and Doug
The entire KMS family was saddened by the loss of our great friend and business partner.
Mike became associated with our firm in January of 1993, having built an impressive record and reputation in the traditional brokerage industry of the day – most notably as a successful financial consultant and branch manager with Kidder Peabody. The Kidder name has since passed into Wall Street lore, but some of us still remember when it was pretty gold-plated.
Today, with the remarkable technology and information at everyone’s fingertips, it’s easy to forget what a leap of faith and courage it was for someone like Mike – a “customer’s man” in the best sense of that term – to go from the hard-wired, oak-paneled environs of a major Wall Street firm to the invent-it-yourself platform of a KMS or the handful of other firms building out an independent approach to this business.
Over the years we’ve been fortunate to work with many outstanding professionals. But there’s certainly a special feeling reserved for those few who, with real assets on the line, were willing to take a chance on us.
Mark Hamby, Chairman & CEO
KMS Financial Services, Inc.
I think the biggest thing I learned from Mike was how to be a man. Being a man starts with a hand shake, a firm hand shake where you look the other in the eye. It is like a showing of respect and confidence. Which goes to the next thing which is confidence. Confidence in who you are, not who you want others to think you are. He taught me these things through the long conversations we had in his office every time I was there. These lessons were an unspoken understanding between us, He knew I was nervous as hell to talk to him, but that was the plan. Those conversations have made me into the social and personable person I am today. If you can talk to Mike you can talk to anyone. Being a man also requires hard work, he taught me to work hard on the field and in life. Knowing his story is enough to inspire anyone but knowing him personally, knowing about his college football career and about his career as a coach is what inspired me the most. The last thing he taught me is love. A key ingredient to any man is the ability to let down your tough exterior and treat others with respect and love. From the love he showed people like Agua, to the love he had for my mother and our family, to the undying love he had for his kids, grandkids and wife. I learned there is nothing more important then putting others before yourself. I think the best way to sum it up is when I look back on the people that really taught me how to be a man there are people like my father and uncles, but Mike is definitely one of them. Its hard being away when this is all happening, but I hope you all know how great of a friend, father, grandfather, and husband he was. He will be greatly missed.
Alexander Agnew
Vice President of Recruitment FarmHouse Fraternity
Washington State University
(509)953-9987
Mike stepped in as a father figure for us when we lost Brad’s parents in 1993. I don’t know what we would have done without his advice. He didn’t just give advice, the whole family took us under their wing and made us feel like we had a family here in Washington. That never changed even though 20 years has passed. We were fortunate enough to say our goodbyes to Mike and I had the opportunity to thank him for always caring. I know he knew he was surrounded by love in his last hours on earth. Gay, we love you so much and we hope you know we are all here for you in the coming weeks, months and years. Mike would want you to enjoy your family, grand kids & friends and everything life has to offer even though he’s not physically here with you– He’s always with you. Now and forever. Mike, Kimmy, and Colleen – thanks for sharing your dad with SO many others. He was one of a kind.
Although I had known Mike for less than a year, I have known his family for several year. Reading his obituary, I have come to realize the contributions that he has made as an educator and coach, and in so many other areas in which he has been involved. In Scripture it says, “By their fruits, you shall know them.” Indeed Mike has influenced many thousands and thousands of people and his influence will go on for years to come. He was a giant of a man. My regret is that I did not know him years ago. May he rest in peace and may his family enjoy peace and consolation in the knowledge that Mike is with his God in heaven enjoying the fruits of his long an dedicated Christian life.
Mike was my father-in-law. Now, in-laws are the butt of jokes in our society — we laugh or cringe when we hear stories of what the in-laws have done. I, on the other hand, won the in-law lottery. From the first time I ever met Mike he was never anything but warm, supportive and complimentary of me. When Mikey and I got engaged, I spent a summer living in the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver with both Mikes — we laughed, ate lots of good food and hit the Jazz clubs together. It is a time I will always treasure. When Fiona came along Mike and Gay could not have been more loving, supportive or doting grandparents — Fiona always gets excited when we are headed to Spokane and “Camp Macaulay”. But more than anything else, I look at Mike and Gay’s three children — smart, kind, ethical — and I see what truly superior parenting looks like. Thanks for always being my role model. I’ll miss you.
Though we were only fortunate to know Mike for a short time, we consider ourselves blessed to call him and his amazing family our friends . From the moment our family met Mike and Gay they never forgot a single name and never greeted any of us with anything less than a hug and a smile. They were the type of people you could easily pick out of a crowd, not only because of their beauty but because they exuded that type of class and grace that just drew you in like a magnet. It was visible everywhere I saw them, in every crowd, setting and atmosphere they graced with their presence. They are that married couple that younger, less experienced couples gaze at and dream about being like. The thing that struck me most about Mike was the way that he looked at his family; I have never met anyone in my life whose love and adoration was so palpable by only a look. I know that we will remember him as a dear friend, father, grandpa and husband, and the grace and pride he lived with is evident in those he left behind. I know his greatest legacy will always be his family, and I know they will rise to fill the enormous boots he left behind. While I don’t envy them that enormous challenge; I would be remiss not to admit I’m envious that they got a whole lifetime of Mike Macaulay; even those of us who only knew him a second in comparison are better people for it. RIP sir.
We enjoyed Mike’s humor and personality when we worked with him at Merrill Lynch. Ron was a broker at the time, I was the Manager’s Secretary and considered Mike one of my favorite brokers. We are so very sad to read about his passing — way too early. He was truly a wonderful person.
Sincerely,
Ron and Carol (Cobb) Allen
I worked with Mike at Kidder Peabody in the early ’80’s when he became our Branch Manager. When I moved to Dean Witter and eventually went into management myself, I always asked myself, “how would Mike handle this?” or “how can I have a sales meeting that is as much fun as Mike’s used to be?”. After leaving Spokane in 1993, I always followed his businesses successes and thought of him with great affection.
Gay, I’m so sorry that you, your family, and friends lost him at such a young age. He was a great guy and a wonderful mentor. With warm regards, Nita Sell (Olympia WA).