Michael Clark Grimshaw

Michael Clark Grimshaw

Salem - Michael Clark Grimshaw was born 25 March 1956 in San Jose, California to Marlene Claire Ashton and Charles Hamilton Grimshaw. The family soon moved to Carmel, where Mike spent many happy years exploring tide pools, building forts in the woods, flying down hills on his brakeless 10-speed that was much too large for him, and many other adventures. Given the nature of some of those exploits, it is a wonder that he survived to adulthood.

When Mike was about 12 years old, the family moved back to San Jose where he spent the rest of his growing up years. He had a good group of friends and lettered in track and cross country. Always a hard worker, Mike had a paper route, worked in a pizza parlor, and began his long career in construction.

When it came time to go off to Ricks College, Mike left home with less than $100 in his pocket. He soon found a job and a place to live. After completing his first year of college, he left to serve a 2-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

After completing his mission, Mike began his education at Brigham Young University, majoring in construction management. He worked his way through school, sometimes taking semesters off to return home to work in order to earn enough money to return to school. Mike graduated from BYU in 1983 and married Arel Marcum on 21 October 1983 in the Oakland Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mike and Arel lived in the Santa Cruz, California area for 3 years before moving on to Salem.

Mike and Arel bought their first house for $19,000 which Mike used to say was worth every penny, meaning it was a piece of garbage. He tore it down to the studs and began a years-long remodel, which was slowed by the rapid arrival of their first two long awaited children. Those two children arrived within the space of 6 months of each other. It was a busy time! Through years of hard work when he had the time and/or we had the money, Mike transformed that "blight of the neighborhood" house into a lovely, memory filled home.

Mike always worked so hard to support his family. Even with all of the hard work, he always had time to lend a helping hand, a sympathetic and nonjudgmental ear, and to give kind and wise counsel. Mike was a kind and loving husband and father, and he was so much fun. He has left us with so many wonderful memories and we look forward to the day when we can be together again.

Mike was a talented craftsman who was so concerned with quality that he did not have employees, preferring to do the work himself so that he was sure it was done correctly. He carried that craftsmanship into the beautiful home he built by hand himself for his family.

Mike loved to hike and began a yearly tradition of solo backpacking 150 mile sections of the Pacific Crest Trail each summer. He was in the planning stages for this year's trek when he received his cancer diagnosis.

Four years ago, Mike and Arel decided to take the leap and serve a mission together for the Church. They had long planned on serving when they were a bit older, but things fell into place unexpectedly and they took the chance. They were called to serve in the Micronesia Guam Mission. They spent their first year in Chuuk and the last months in Guam. They loved the people there and felt loved in return. It was a life changing experience. In the last few months, Mike spoke many times of how glad he was that they were able to serve that mission.

Mike was so well loved by so many. His family has received an outpouring of kind, memory filled messages. Mike truly cared about other people and had compassion for them. He had such a twinkle in his eye and was smart and funny and a great tease. He was also always a peacemaker, a natural diplomat. He understood people and knew how to approach them to find positive solutions to problems. Another of Mike's gifts was his ability to see so clearly what was most important in life. This gift also enabled him to plan, take on, and accomplish tasks that would be insurmountable to most. Mike was also a man of deep faith, a truly Christlike man who spent his life in loving service to others.

Mike unexpectedly died Monday morning, 3 August 2020. He had been battling cancer, but had been doing well on his new medication, and had high hopes for more time. We miss him terribly, but know that we will be together again. Mike was predeceased by his mother Marlene and is survived by his wife Arel, who loves him dearly, his son Tyler and his wife Leah, his daughter Megan, and his son Andrew. Mike is also survived by his father, Chuck Grimshaw of Keizer and his wife Deanna, his brother Chuck and his wife Nancy, his sister Yvonne, and his brother Greg and his wife Nida. Mike was also very much loved by his many nieces and nephews and his in-laws. He was a remarkable and loving man. Because of the Covid situation, we will be having a graveside service at Miller Cemetery which is NE of Silverton on Thursday, August 13 at 11 am. All are welcome.

Assisting the family is Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.