Michael Joseph Quinn

1944 - 2023

Michael Joseph Quinn of Riverside, CA passed away peacefully on July 27, 2023. Born on April 25, 1944 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Joseph and Agnes Quinn, Mike was the oldest of two children. He attended his beloved Elder High School where he was a varsity football and baseball player and earned Greater Cincinnati League honors at the conclusion of his senior-year football season. He attended Vanderbilt University where he earned a degree in English and followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a sports writer for the school newspaper. He completed a semester abroad in France in 1964, where he impressed many French citizens with his previously unknown skills in Petanque. Following graduation, Mike began his career at Sports Illustrated, later moving to Newsday on Long Island. He arrived in Riverside in 1972 to work at the Press Enterprise where, after starting as a reporter, he become an assistant city editor and, as computers were integrated into daily news operations, he became, in effect, one of the paper's first IT workers. During his final years at the Press Enterprise, he created PE.net, allowing the Press Enterprise to become one of the first newspaper companies in the country to also serve as an Internet Service Provider. He retired from the Press Enterprise in 1998 and returned briefly to the workforce in the early 2000s to serve as the editor of the University of California, Riverside's alumni magazine. Mike was preceded in death by his younger brother, Timothy Quinn of Cincinnati. He is survived by his wife, Josette; his son, Steve (Selmay); and his grandson, Jordan, all of Riverside. He was a dedicated volunteer for the Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, St. Catherine's Elementary School, where he served as president of the School Board and a soccer, baseball, and academic decathlon coach. Mike leaves behind a rich legacy of hard work, dedicated volunteerism, a devotion to grammatical rectitude and a love of both the Beatles and folk music.Mike's family would like to thank the dedicated nursing staff at Sunrise Senior Living in Riverside and his nurse turned buddy, Jenence Daniels. Thank you all for making such a difference in Mike's life!Services for Mike are as follows: Viewing at Acheson and Graham on 8/15/23 from 4pm-8pm. Mass at St. Catherine's of Alexandria Church on 08/16/23 starting at 10am. Burial at Olivewood Memorial Park on 08/16/23 starting at 11:30am. Celebration of Life at the Canyon Crest Country Club on 08/16/23, 12:30-3pm.In lieu of flowers, Mike asked that you buy a copy of your local newspaper and read it cover to cover!