Cecil J. "Mike" North Jr.

1931 - 2021

Cecil J. North, Jr. "Mike" Cecil J. North, Jr., "Mike" to his family and friends, died on October 4, 2021, joining his beloved wife, Marty, who predeceased him. Mike lived on the Belvedere lagoon with Muffin, his little dog and faithful companion, in the home he and Marty bought together in 2009. He was 90 years old. His wife, Martha Snowdon North, "Marty" to her family and friends, died after a fall in their home on January 10, 2018. Mike first met Marty in 1955 when she had been married to one of Mike's Harvard Business School classmates and they had known each other on and off over the years. They met again when Mike was visiting his daughter, Amanda, for Christmas in 2004. He knew instantly that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They were married the following fall when they both were 74. Their years together were the happiest years of Mike's life. Mike thought he was the luckiest person on the planet. Mike loved his four children, all of whom were an important part of his life: Amanda, who lives in San Francisco, Cecil in Fayetteville, AR, John in Atlanta, GA and Alex in Eldorado Springs, CO. He also loved his seven grandchildren and greatly valued his friendship with Cecil's wife, Nancy, and John's wife, Kerry. Marty, who had six children and ten grandchildren, had a wonderful way of bringing their two families together. Mike particularly appreciated the love and support of Hope Garbo who lives in Ross, Tad Kinney in San Francisco, Elisabeth Robinson in New Castle, NH, and Hilary Kinney in San Anselmo. Mike is survived by his sister, Sarah Hillyer of Kennett Square, PA. His other sister, Mary French of Andover, MA, predeceased him. Cecil J. North, Jr. was born on January 19, 1931, the son of Cecil and Adelaide North, who predeceased him. They were wonderful parents and he was lucky to have grown up in a close, loving family. After growing up in Hewlett, Long Island Mike went to Milton Academy in Milton, MA and then to Princeton, from which he graduated cum laude in 1952. After Princeton, Mike served as a lieutenant in combat with the 15th Field Artillery Battalion of the 2nd Division in Korea and was awarded the Bronze Star. He then attended Harvard Business School, from which he graduated in 1956, and where he met his first wife, Helen Tasche, who was the mother of his four children. After their divorce in 1974, Mike married Isabel O'Connell to whom he was married until her death in 2003. After Business School, Mike worked for General Motors in labor relations and then for 10 years for McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, where he was elected a principal. In 1980, he joined Intext, a publishing conglomerate headquartered in Scranton, PA as executive vice president and then was named president. He had 3,000 employees reporting to him worldwide. In 1981, after Intext was acquired, he started all over again, founding Guide Communications, a small regional publishing company, near his home in Bedford, NY. He sold Guide Communications fortuitously in May, 2007 just before the market crashed. Mike lived on the East Coast for more than 40 years, before he met Marty. He loved sports. He was an outstanding tennis player, nationally ranked 6th in junior doubles and a member of the Princeton tennis team. He was Number 1 on the Princeton squash team and an All American, a national champion in platform tennis and a low handicap golfer. In his middle years, he loved to run and completed the New York Marathon in 1978. After moving to California, Mike became a member of the Belvedere Tennis Club and San Francisco Yacht Club. He attended St. Stephen's Church in Belvedere and St. John's Church in Ross. He loved California. There will be a memorial service at St. Stephen's on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 4 p.m. Those planning to attend should be vaccinated and wear masks. Monte's Chapel of the Hills San Anselmo, 415-453-8440