Mike Meagher

1937 - 2012

Mike Meagher, former Longfellow School principal, went home to be with his Lord on March 30, 2012 due to complications relating to Alzheimer's.

Mike was born Jan. 30, 1937 in Little Rock, Ark. to Gomer Brandon Moore and Evelyn Francis McCarthy. At the age of seven he acquired the Meagher name from his stepfather, Joseph Kenneth Meagher.

Mike grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, graduating from Northside High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended the University of Oklahoma on a basketball scholarship, where he was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduating with a degree in business, Mike worked for International Harvester Company and later returned to school to pursue a degree in education.

Mike met his wife of 52 years, Judy May, at Yellowstone National Park in 1958. They were both college students, spending their summers working in the park. She was working behind the soda fountain at Fishing Bridge and he worked as a fishing guide at Lake Boat Docks. They were married in 1960 and lived in Tulsa, Okla. during the early part of their marriage. From there they moved to Southern California, where Mike attended graduate school at U.C.L.A. and U.S.C., earning his master's degree and later working on his Ph.D. in education. He taught at Slauson Middle School in Azusa, Calif., was principal at Hawthorne Elementary School, and vice principal at Gary High School, both in Pomona, Calif.

During this time Mike and Judy had two children, Kenneth Brandon (Brandy) and Marcy Elizabeth. The family moved to the Tiburon/Belvedere area in Marin County in Northern California where Mike was principal of the Reed, Belvedere, and Bel Aire schools in Tiburon. It was from there that Gaylord Lasher, personnel director of Bozeman schools, recruited him for the Longfellow School position. He was principal at Longfellow School for 23 years.

Mike lived life actively and with great enthusiasm. In addition to basketball, his athletic pursuits included golf and tennis. He was a competitive triathlete and cyclist and had a lifelong commitment to health and fitness. In high school and college, he taught tennis and waterskiing and later coached Little League baseball. After moving to Arizona, he followed up on his interest in archeology by working with the Archeological Society, participating in discovery digs and explorations. He was a member of Christian Center, where he once served as Deacon.

Mike was an expansive, caring man who was greatly loved and appreciated by his family and friends. His two children and subsequently his grandchildren, Ryan, Paige and Christian, were the delights of his life. He also loved and appreciated the parents and staff at Longfellow school as well as those of Heritage Christian where he was principal for two years after his retirement from Longfellow.

He leaves many good friends in Bozeman, California, and Green Valley, Ariz., where he and Judy have spent their winters for the last 10 years. Mike's sense of humor, hearty laughter, love of music, dancing, family, and friends, will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.

Mike was predeceased by his parents, and brother, Patrick Kieran Meagher. He is survived by his wife, Judy; son, Ken (Shellie) Meagher of Bozeman and Sydney, Australia; his daughter, Marcy Meagher-Reed and grandchildren, Paige, Ryan and Christian of Palo Alto, Calif.; his foster son, Louis Antoine of Henderson, Nev.; his sister-in-law, Marcy Meagher (Gary)Taber of Edmond, Okla.; cousins, Marilou (Ed) Mayo of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Judy Kantor (Paul) of Tulsa, Okla., Tom Durkin of Terre Haute, Ind., as well many other cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

Body donation has been made to the University of Arizona School of Medicine. A celebration of Mike's life will be held in Bozeman in late July.

A favorite quote of Mike's and one that will be shared at this celebration is, "Take comfort in knowing that at last I am free and when we meet in heaven – I will once again be me."