Michael J. Baddick

1949 - 2023

Michael J. Baddick, beloved husband, father and pappy, 74 years of age, of Brockton, Pa., passed away suddenly Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, upon arrival at St. Luke's Miners Memorial in Coaldale.

Born Thursday, March 31, 1949, in Pottsville, Pa., he was a son of the late Jacob J. and Adele T. (Navitsky) Baddick.

Surviving are his wife of 51 years, Elizabethann "Betty" (Sverchek) Baddick; sons, Michael John Baddick and his wife, Kathy, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Christopher Baddick and his wife, Suzie, of Brockton; and his grandchildren, whom he adored, Katelyn Baddick (14), Abby Baddick (11), Dalton Adams (25) and his fiancée, Ava Lantgen, and Ryan Adams (22). He is also survived by countless nieces, nephews and cousins as a member of the Baddick family.

A 1967 graduate of Marian Catholic High School, Mike served honorably in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.

He retired from a long career working heavy highway construction and then, in retirement, continued "working" with his son, Mike, doing home renovations, even if he was just holding the dummy end of the tape measure or painting the strike zone.

A standout baseball player in high school, Mike was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he played briefly before he enlisted in the Air Force.

His military service was a source of pride. He supported his grandsons' pursuit of military service: Dalton enlisting in the Air Force like his Pap, and Ryan enlisting in the Army National Guard before graduating from high school.

Mike was an ardent Notre Dame football fan and was passionate about Philadelphia teams. He was always up for a road trip for the quality time it gave him with the ones he loved; to Gettysburg for antiquing with his lovely wife, Betty; to South Bend, Ind., for a Notre Dame football game with his son, Mike; to Abaline, Texas, with his son, Chris, to move his grandson, Dalton, home from the Air Force; to catch a Phillies game with his Abby girl; or to Mechanicsburg where he learned to love a new sport watching his granddaughter, Katelyn, play soccer. He looked forward to the annual family trips to Holden Beach, N.C. Mike even donned mouse ears when he joined his favorite princesses on a trip to Walt Disney World.

Mike coached Little League baseball when his boys played, and he spent the last ten years on the sidelines cheering on his granddaughters. He loved reading, breakfast club gatherings, trading stories with friends and knew everything about the Civil War. He was quick with a smile and ready laugh, as evidenced by the late-night card games with his son, Chris, and neighborhood friends or the fateful road trip to Notre Dame with his son, Mike, and a bunch of misfit dads, where he earned the nickname "Blue" (a reference to the movie "Old School").

Mike was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church and belonged to the Tamaqua American Legion.

A funeral service will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, from E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Tamaqua. Friends may call from 5 p.m. until the time of services. Memorials in Mike's name can be sent to: Tamaqua Area Baseball Association, 986 Catawissa Road, Tamaqua, PA 18252. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.griffithsfuneralhomes.com. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services Inc. of 655 E. Broad St., Tamaqua; 570-668-2550.