Murray Michaels

PETERBOROUGH - Murray Michaels of Peterborough, beloved son, brother, husband and father, died at home on Dec. 17, 2015 of lung cancer, just days short of his 60 birthday. From his earliest childhood, Murray was interested in technical things. He could be counted on to dismantle almost anything to see how it worked. He often put it back together in working order, too. In high school and while pursuing an engineering degree at Rochester Institute of Technology he built electronic gadgets for himself and others. He considered himself fortunate to have been able to work as an engineer all his life. At the time of his death he worked at Degree Controls in Milford, contributing to the design of airflow and temperature sensors, where a colleague described him as an engineer's engineer.

Murray had a passion for unusual cars and owned several over the years including MGs, VWs, MINIs and others. A favorite activity was cornering his little cars around the windy New Hampshire backroads, especially in the fall. People were always amused to see him unfold his tall frame from the inside of a tiny antique MINI Cooper. He loved to eat and therefore also loved to cook and experiment with new recipes, creating memorable meals often featuring copious amounts of garlic and hot peppers. His scientific mind relished (pun intended) learning the art of natural fermentation prompting him to build a special fermentation box to precisely control the conditions for optimal sauerkraut and pickle production, two of his favorite foods. Audio Visual equipment was another passion and sharing interesting movies on the big screen in the living room was a favorite thing. He once created a special showing of a movie for a friend who was ill by hanging a sheet on the side of a garage and inviting the guests to sit on the hill, theater style.

Murray was a warm, generous and giving individual, best and most often described as thoughtful and gentle. He also had a whimsical sense of humor, such as the time he drove his tiny MINI over a bridge that was closed to auto traffic, utilizing the pedestrian sidewalk. He almost always knew how to fix something that was broken which caused many friends to ask him to do so. In recent years Murray had become an avid player of Mah Jong, playing with his equally dedicated friends every month without fail. Murray's deep sense of community motivated him to become a prime mover with the local makerspace, Monadnock Art x Tech, a community workshop where tools, inspiration, and knowledge can be pooled and shared.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; parents, Debbie and Bernie; sister, Carol; sons, Sol and Ian, stepchildren, Juliana and Gabriel, two grandsons, Wilcca and Keya, and his honorary brother, Jarmo Rautiainen a Finnish exchange student who lived with the family in 1971.

A public celebration of Murray's life will be held at Monadnock Art x Tech from 1 - 4 p.m. on Dec. 27, his 60 birthday. For information go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/939116886175330/permalink/939124589507893/

Rather than flowers, friends wishing to honor Murray are encouraged to consider a donation to Monadnock Art x Tech. https://monadnockartxtech.wildapricot.org/