Michael Donald Metcalf

Michael Donald Metcalf, born February 20, 1946, in Midland, Michigan, passed away on January 27, 2025, in Greenville, North Carolina, after a courageous battle with cancer.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, March 8, at 4 pm, at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, NC (1400 South Elm Street). The family will receive friends at the church before the service, beginning at 2:30 pm. Inurnment will take place at the United States Naval Academy at a future time. Livestream information that may be found on and after the day of the service at https://www.youtube.com/@FirstPresbyterianGreenvilleNC/streams.
The son of the late George Edward and Ardith (McKay) Metcalf, Michael graduated from Midland High School and earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, graduating with the class of 1968. While at the Academy, he taught sailing, was a member of the Drum and Bugle Corps and was voted "Outstanding Performer" on the company lightweight football team. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy for the next ten years, with assignments in San Diego, California; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Honolulu, Hawaii. While in San Diego, Michael met his wife Deborah Collis and they wed in June of 1973. Following his active-duty service, he continued his dedication to the U.S. Navy by serving another 20 years in the U.S. Naval Reserves and rose to the rank of Captain.
Michael furthered his education by earning a MBA from New Mexico Highlands University and a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He worked as an engineer with Procter & Gamble for over 20 years, which brought Michael and his family to Greenville, North Carolina. He finished his career as a high school mathematics teacher at Ayden-Grifton High School, where he was able to bring his military and engineering experiences to the classroom.
A modern renaissance man, Michael had many diverse talents and interests. He was an amateur ham radio operator, an experienced sailor, an avid runner and swimmer, and a Suzuki viola player. A proud Eagle Scout himself, he gave back to the Boy Scouts of America by volunteering as a local scoutmaster. Michael had a love for Volvos. He became a beekeeper, helped found the Tar River Beekeepers, and engineered his own beehives. Most recently, Michael started to learn how to play the bagpipes and became an official member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where he had been an elder and served many years on the Ulster Project board. With a love of travel, Michael and his wife Deborah explored the world together and immersed themselves into other cultures during their retirement years; Michael achieved the remarkable milestone of visiting all seven continents.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Deborah Collis Metcalf; his siblings Mary (Neil) Blakeslee of Rockford, MI and Dan (Dorothy) Metcalf of Midland, MI; his children Allison (Sean) Woodard of Flower Mound, TX, Lindsey (Ian) Lee of Kernersville, NC, and John Metcalf of Missoula, MT; and his five grandchildren Ethan, Henry, Adelaide, Dash, and Olen. He also leaves behind numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews, too numerous to name but loved whole-heartedly, who will remember Mike for his love of life and family.
Michael's life was one of service, adventure, and dedication to family. May his memory bring comfort to all who knew him.
Memorial contributions may be made to the ECU Metcalf Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment Fund (ECU Foundation, 2200 South Charles St., Greenville Centre, Suite 1100, Greenville, NC 27858), First Presbyterian Church of Greenville (1400 S. Elm St., Greenville, NC 27858) or a charity of one's choice.