Michael Harold Durgan

Michael (Mike) H. Durgan, 82, of Prunedale, California passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving

family on Sunday, January 11, 2026. Mike was born on April 29, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to H. Jay

Durgan, D.C. and Margaret McDermott Durgan. He is the eldest of five brothers and one sister.

Mike showed incredible resilience and strength, navigating a challenging recovery over the last seven and a

half years following a massive Hemorrhagic Stroke he suffered in April of 2018. His final years were made so

much brighter and more comfortable thanks to the tireless love, exceptional care and dedication of his wife,

Judy and their entire family. Their unwavering support, companionship and compassionate care allowed him

to remain at home, surrounded by love. While these years were marked by the physical limitations of the

stroke, his spirit remained strong and his love for his family never wavered.

Mike attended Salinas High School where he graduated in 1961.

On March 1, 1969, he married the love of his life, Judy. They spent the first year of their marriage living in La

Crescenta, CA where Mike worked as an Inventory Controller for DCA Foods. In 1970, they returned to

Salinas, CA where he worked for several years at Schilling & Company, before ultimately choosing a career in

Carpentry. He loved working with his hands and the reward of building something lasting and beautiful.

In 1977, Mike built their family home and they moved to Prunedale, CA where they still live. It is there that they

raised their children and cared for the many animals that they so loved; including dogs, cats, chickens, ducks,

goats, a bull named Norman, his beloved horses and even a pet raccoon!

Mike semi-retired from carpentry in 1997 and began his second career as Ranch Foreman of the Rocks Ranch

in Aromas/San Juan Bautista. This was his true calling. We always said he was born a hundred years too late.

He was most peaceful sleeping under the stars, listening to the cattle bawl, spending time with friends and

working the land. He loved team-roping and days spent gathering and branding cattle. He always said he was

the only cowboy he knew that could build a house!

An avid outdoorsman, Mike loved hunting, fishing and working cattle. He spent many years traveling to Idaho

to hunt the "big one", sleeping in a wall-tent in the snow for weeks at a time. He also hunted on many ranches

owned by friends and was deeply grateful for the time he spent on the land.

Mike loved Pinecrest Lake and Hat Creek where he took his family on numerous summer vacations, filled with

fishing, hiking, playing cards, listening to all kinds of music and eating delicious food.

Mike was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

A beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Mike's passing has

left a profound void and many broken hearts. He will be forever missed.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, H. Jay and Margaret Durgan; and his brother Ricky Durgan.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judy; his children Terry (Kenny) Uchida, Scott Durgan, Sheri (Nathan)

Varner and Kent Durgan; his siblings, Linda, Patrick, Bryan (Debbie) and Dennis; his grandchildren, Kristina

(Sonju) Uchida-Rattler, Nicholas Uchida, Delaney and Lucas Durgan, Kyle (Alyssa Donohue) Durgan Maslyn;

his great-granddaughter, Lyla Kumi Uchida-Rattler; many nieces and nephews and life-long friends Rick and Judy

MacDonald and Jeff Goldman, his step-grandson, Joel A. A. Maslyn and honorary grandson, Chace Guidotti

and his cherished dogs, who brought him so much joy; Louie, Jax and grand-dog, Phoebe.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Noon on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in the Rodeo Room at the Salinas

Sports Complex, 1034 North Main Street, Salinas, CA 93906.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your favorite western cause or organization to honor Mike's

passion for cowboy culture, history and land stewardship.

"When I die, remember that what you knew of me is with you always,

What is buried is only the shell of what was,

Do not regret the shell, but remember the man".

- Louis L'Amour