Michael Tuohy

1954 - 2021

TUOHY, Michael

Michael Aloysius Tuohy, 67, died Sunday evening, March 7, 2021. Born March 1, 1954 in Montclair, New Jersey, to Patrick Joseph and Mary Rose Sullivan Tuohy, Mike grew up in Caldwell where he developed an appreciation for all things out doors, especially rivers. He moved with his family to Atlanta in 1965 and "sopped up Southern Culture". He met Sally Felder; they married in 1975 and together began discovering how much fun love could be.

He graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology and began his career with the State of Georgia, where he conducted extensive field work and authored several publications with an emphasis on groundwater hydrology. He was a registered professional geologist and a member of the Society of Mining Engineers, the Geological Society of America, and the Georgia and Atlanta Geological Societies.

Though his calling was geology, his interests were wide and intense. He knew his rocks, but also tree identification and bird songs. He recognized caterpillars for the butterflies they would become. He knew which snakes to avoid, but appreciated the others for the services provided. He bought river front property in 2002 and built an underground home he fondly called "the Bunker". There his critter cam captured otters, beavers, coyotes, herons, wood ducks, even a bob cat. And deer – lots of deer. He had a profound, lifelong passion for the Cosmos, and would provide advance notice of any noteworthy comet, eclipse, meteor shower, or NASA mission, and was often advising of an upcoming ISS transit or minor celestial event. He gathered with family in the north Georgia mountains for the total solar eclipse of 2017. It was glorious.

He was a master at extracting fun from life. A 2014 tour of Ireland with Sally was highlighted by the natural beauty he sought in all his travel – the Dingle Peninsula, the Aran Islands, and the Cliffs of Moher. It culminated in a Dublin pub crawl where the music group solicited crowd participation and accompanied his enthusiastic rendition of the horrifying Irish ballad 'Weila Waile', to rave reviews. When the pandemic canceled a planned trip to Iceland he vented his frustration by studying Danish on Duolingo.

It was Mike's nature to take care of those who were hurting. He encouraged everyone to pursue their goals. He had a special sensitivity to those with disabilities and challenges physical and mental. His sense of humor made for laughter at times of joy and comfort during tribulation.

He dabbled in fiction writing for many years, but in 2013 he found Jacq Marie Jack to edit his work. With new focus his stories began to flow. He described himself as "Chronicler of the Preposterous, writing fiction in a way that reveals unnecessary truth". He has 27 published stories and his writing has been recognized in competitions in Canada, Ireland, England, Wales, and the USA, including the William Faulkner Literary Competition. Mike's love of fiction writing was infectious and he always made time to encourage novice writers.

Mike is survived by his devoted wife Sally; two sons and their families Daniel and Maria, and Garth, Vicky and Richard; and brothers Peter, Brendan, and Paul.

Due to COVID-19 there will be no service at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

If you wish to make a contribution in Mike's memory, please bestow a kindness to someone in need.