Mike Quinlan

Quinlan, E. Michael "Mike", of Duxbury, died peacefully after a short illness, at home and surrounded by his loving wife and five daughters, on April 27, 2025.
Mike was born November 27, 1944, in Cambridge to Eugene and Alice Quinlan, and was raised in Brighton with his three sisters and brother. He graduated from St. Mary's High School in Brookline in 1962, always crediting the teachers there, one nun in particular, with convincing him to buckle down and take his studies seriously. He did just that and was awarded the Father Sheehan Trophy for scholarship and athletics (football). He attended Bullis Academy for one year and was one of four young men from Boston given the opportunity to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963 and was the only one to graduate in 1967.
One other important thing happened while he was at the Naval Academy. he met Jeanne Wright on a blind double date, at Paragon Park in Hull. They married shortly after his graduation and were devoted to each other and to their family for the next 57 years.
Selected for Naval Aviation, Mike was one of the youngest Aviators to be sent directly into combat in Vietnam in 1969 with Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4), flying 251 combat missions. His squadron, known as the "Flying Black Ponies" was featured in a Smithsonian documentary. Mike spent 20 years as an active and reserve Naval Aviator, retiring as a Commander. He loved flying, and often said his greatest thrill was landing on and taking off from aircraft carriers.
Mike worked as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch in Providence while raising his growing family of three daughters in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. During that time, he also attended New England Law School in the evenings. When he graduated and passed the bar exam in 1978, he served as the President of Quinlan Publishing Company, a legal newsletter publishing business started by his father, for 25 years. He moved his family to Duxbury and served on the town's Finance Committee and Fiscal Advisory Board, in addition to serving as a Trustee of the U.S. Naval Foundation. Mike and Jeanne also welcomed the birth of twin girls in 1980, because three girls just wasn't enough. All of Mike's daughters, his "Five Aces," adored their father and were adored in return.
Mike was an avid sports fan and golfer. He was a member of Marshfield Country Club for many years. Mike and Jeanne loved to travel, and their many trips all over the world with their friends and family were some of their happiest memories.
His favorite place in the entire world was Martha's Vineyard, where he always loved a full house (and his Captain's Quarters to escape from it), taking the kids out for ice cream in the evening and taking in the beauty of Edgartown Harbor in the early mornings.
A lifelong learner, in retirement Mike became a self-taught historian and lecturer, giving dozens and dozens of presentations on topics that interested him, like China, Ukraine, the Middle East and the U.S. Military. He lectured all over the South Shore and in Florida, at and around the Spring Run Golf Club, where he was a resident for over 20 years. He also joined daily discussions on current events and sports with his friends, the "Coffee Guys," in Duxbury and in Florida, and he spent the rest of his time spoiling his 10 beloved grandchildren.
Mike always considered himself very blessed. He always said he married the right girl, raised a great family with a lot of love and laughs, and was blessed with many wonderful friends from each part of his life. He cherished every one of them. His daughters would joke that Dad had more 'best friends' than anyone, but they knew it was because he really was the best - loyal, kind, generous. Mike was a tremendous role model and a blessing to those that knew him, as well as being the star of a million funny stories.
He is survived and will be missed every day by his beloved wife Jeanne (Wright) Quinlan, his daughters Shannon Quinlan, Jennifer Quinlan (husband Robert Bonner), Nancy Quinlan Costa, Liz Foster (husband Owen) and Michelle Rancourt (husband Chris); his grandchildren, 1st Lt. USMC Matthew Liam Candy, Erin Elizabeth and Alison Marie Candy, Thomas and Corinne Costa, Ellie and Paige Foster and Michael, Caitlin and Colin Rancourt; his siblings Mary McCaffery, Henry Quinlan, The Hon. Regina Quinlan Doherty (Ret.), Anne Moran and many nieces and nephews.
Please join Mike's family for visiting hours from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025 at the MacDonald Funeral Home in Marshfield, and for a Funeral Mass and celebration of a life well lived on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in the Holy Family Church of Duxbury, followed by a graveside service in the Mayflower Cemetery of Duxbury.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Mike's memory to the Norwell VNA, by mail to 120 Longwater Drive, Norwell, MA 02061 and online at: NVNA and/or the Duxbury Senior Center, by mail to 10 Mayflower Street, Duxbury, MA 02332 and online at: Duxbury Senior Center
For online guest book, driving directions and other helpful information please visit the website macdonaldfuneralhome.com