We have lost a fellow brother.

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Comet

Comet

Knower of little, master of less.
SILVER Star
10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Threads
55
Messages
3,624
Location
Southwest Virginia
I don’t know how to express the loss that I experienced yesterday around 5:40PM. My friend, Mike McKenna, passed away from a battle with COVID. I am deeply humbled that he would choose to hang out with a guy like me and blessed to have known him. He leaves behind a loving and devoted wife, two amazing boys, and two knuckle head dogs. He will be remembered as the man I longed to be. His generous and easy going nature has touched the lives of so many people. His inner circle of friends have devised a plan to try and provide a college education or at least try to help out in many small ways. A gofundme site is being established in his honor to achieve this goal.

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I can speak to the kind of man that @1428Mike was. Knowledgeable and experienced in almost anything you could imagine of any importance. Generosity that went far beyond necessary. Bourbon fan, cancer survivor, Land Cruiser owner, car restorer, woodworker, veteran, lifesaver in the truest sense of the word (nurse). But you wouldn’t know most of that because he didn’t talk about himself.

Wheeled with him most recently at CRR where I lost my glasses, only to have him find them on his front bumper after over three hours of trails!

Most of you probably never met him because he tended to not be the social butterfly that some of us are, but he made friends with whoever her met and many of you will remember him as such; you only had to meet him once for that to happen.

If you’re coming to Fall Crawl next week, join me and some others in raising a glass to his memory. I’ll have a bottle of something he’d approve of and a sleeve of shot glasses.
 
He will be missed !
 
Wait, were you there? I kept staring at his enormous thumbs.

Currently In the middle of a huge whaling emotional outburst that resembles birthing. Or for others, it sounds like crying and a low rumbling noise.

Mike’s favorite artist is The Cranberries. I could never listen to them until tonight. Damn they are depressing as hell.
 
I am sorry to hear this. The little bit i met him, a couple of years back. He was a good guy.
 
I had the honor of spending a week with Mike and Tarvis at GSMTR in 2019. We wheeled , camped, ate and drank way too much together for a week. I really got to know them and I never laughed so hard in my entire life. The two of them together was better than comedy central. If you didn't get to know Mike when he was with the boys doing down time, you missed out. He was an amazing cook and an all around joy to be with. I will treasure the events I spent with him and will miss him immensely. Please go to the education fund page and help his boys out. We lost an amazing friend and club member. This virus really sucks.
 
Tarvis is honored. That was a really long week and I loved every moment of it.
 
Mike was a good dude. I'll surely miss the campfire banter between Mike and Tarvis. He also reacquainted me with this song. It's on my playlist now and every time I hear it, I think of him. Rest easy, Mike. We'll wheel together again someday.

 
Damn, this is sad news... Didn't know him but he looks like he was a great guy to know. I will certainly make a donation to help out. Don't know where he lived but if there are around the house projects, etc. that need to happen lmk - would be happy to help organize a work day.

He doesn't look like the profile of a guy COVID would win on... Was he vaxed? Was it the lingering effects of surviving cancer?
 
@Jeff Elliott Mike was on the Front lines for 19 months now (how long has COVID been a thing?). He worked Level 1 Trauma ED from the ground up throughout his career. Ended as a Unit Director and loved his career choice so much that he never “worked” a day in his life.
 
Comet said:
@Jeff Elliott Mike was on the Front lines for 19 months now (how long has COVID been a thing?). He worked Level 1 Trauma ED from the ground up throughout his career. Ended as a Unit Director and loved his career choice so much that he never “worked” a day in his life.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the additional context. Keep us posted on that gofundme - would like to contribute.
 
@Jeff Elliott please see post#2 for the go fund me education fund. Thank you for considering.
 
Travis,

Thanks for letting us know. I wish I had seen this last week and not missed the funeral. Mike will definitely be missed.

Quick story:

Logan's Run 2018 (I think) I went swimming down at Badin Lake and had a bad allergic reaction to something in the water. As someone who has never been allergic to anything, I was little concerned (read terrified). Mike helped out in several ways--first, he had medication with him that helped reduce my symptoms, second, as a medical professional he provided some peace of mind for me, and third, as a fellow vet he was able to tap into my highly developed gallows humor and joke about the irony of dying from an allergic reaction to water after surviving multiple combat tours.

Rest in peace Mike.:beer::beer:
 
I went to the funeral service service yesterday and I have to say that I've not seen so many people at one of those in a loooooong time, as in way before covid. It was sad knowing that all of them have lost something significant in Mike but it was good to realize just how much and how effectively he had spread himself around to others.
 
Mike was one of a kind and we will truly miss him. He had big impact on many people and helped so many people and didn't want anything in return. I was happy to hear that his sons are going to keep his last project 100 series. Comet and I along with others in our area will help them make it what he wanted it to be.
 
@KliersLC truth be told, I never even knew he helped you out on that trip. His go bag was definitely well stocked with the right supplies a growing boy needed. From trauma, allergies, small cuts, to minor surgeries. I especially liked his ATF pelican box. A=good bourbon with a real glass. T=Pipe tobacco (local blend called Dr’s Orders I introduced him to). F=a walther .22 pistol cause you never know when diplomacy might fail.
 
So sad these news...
May the Lord rest his soul in peace!
 
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