Mike worked for the City of Canton in the Public Works Department, retiring in 2014 after 24 years of service. He was a member of the First Christian Church in Canton, Past President of AFSCME Local #3535, a child advocate for CASA of Fulton County, and a volunteer with Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the Adult Literacy Program at Spoon River College. He was also a passionate supporter of blues music throughout his life, being a member of blues societies throughout the United States and Europe.
After losing his both of his parents and supporting himself until he finished high school, Mike traveled the world. He saw most of the United States, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Nepal, Egypt, Europe, and was a member of the second group of American civilians to visit China after it reopened in the late 1970s. In 1986, he met the love of his life, Karen, married, and settled down with her and started his own family. Throughout his remarkable life, he never failed to show up for them, and where he saw opportunities to help people who needed it, especially children, he took them.
Cremation rites have been accorded through Oaks-Hines Funeral Home and Crematory in Canton.
Services will be 2 pm Saturday, May 11, 2024 at the First Christian Church in Canton, where visitation will be held 1 hour prior to services. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery in Canton. Memorials can be made to CASA of Illinois or The Blues Foundation. To view Mike’s DVD or to leave online condolences, please visit www.oakshinesfuneralhome.com.
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