Michael Joseph McDonough / Dec. 24, 1938 — June 20, 2011

Published 9:53 pm Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Michael Joseph McDonough died on Monday, June 20, 2011, at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.

He was born on Dec. 24, 1938, in Chicago, the son of Joseph and Loretta (Doyle) McDonough.

Mike grew up at Indian Lake near Dowagiac and after graduating from Dowagiac Central High School in 1957, he served in the U.S. Navy stationed at San Diego, Calif., and on the island of Guam.

Following his service in the Navy he was employed as a photographer for the daily newspaper in Santa Monica, Calif., where in 1963 he received an Honorable Mention Award for Sports Photography from the Associated Press.

After moving back to Michigan, he worked for several years as a professional photographer, radio personality and later in the fruit tree industry at Hilltop Nurseries in Hartford.

He moved to Willcox, Ariz., in 1988 and moved back to Michigan permanently in 2005, first to Dowagiac, then to Traverse City.

Mike loved photography, nature and animals.

He was a real people person, enjoyed getting together with family and friends and meeting new people.

He loved a great joke and just shooting the breeze.

He also had a profound fondness for breakfast, sweets and peanut butter.

Mike is survived by his children, Shana (Barton) Wartner of Portage and Matthew (Ann) McDonough of Traverse City; his grandchildren, Sydney Wartner, Samuel McDonough and Abigail McDonough; a niece and nephews; and many longtime friends, including Eldean McDonough-Daly.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, James.
Memories of Mike may be shared at www.covellfuneralhomes.com, where memorial information is also available.

A celebration of Mike’s life for family and friends will be held at the Rosevelt residence, 59204 Territorial Road, Decatur, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 25.