Michael Alexander McAnulty

Michael Alexander McAnulty, 61, died Saturday, November 9, 2002 after a long battle with cancer. He died at his home in Worthington, Mass., with family and friends around him. Michael was a man of many contrasts, of light and shadow, who managed to balance melancholy with humor and intelligence, mathematics and computer science with music, "not being the religious sort" with a spiritual nature and love of sacred music; he prized solitude, yet valued and cultivated relationships with family and friends, consistently forming lasting friendships throughout his life. Michael sang in "choral groups and opera companies from Birmingham to Boston for over 35 years." Michael was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 11, 1941, the son of Elizabeth (Armstrong) and John McAnulty. He grew up in Albany, Ilion, and Rochester, N.Y., graduating from Brighton High School in 1959. While attending Harvard University, he married Jane "Laurie" Lawrence Reid of South Hadley, Mass., a student at Radcliffe College; and they started a family. Soon after completing his BS in Biochemistry in 1963, they moved their young family to Chapel Hill, N.C., where he received a doctoral degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina in 1973. Michael went on to work and do research in the field of computer science, working for Duke University Medical Center, National Testing Service, Digital Equipment Corporation, and NASA, and teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Virginia Commonwealth University. At the same time, he always devoted himself to music, completed a degree in music while teaching at UAB, sang in local church choirs, amateur opera, and chamber music groups, and played and sang in folk and early music groups. Michael and Laurie settled in Worthington in 1992. Michael leaves behind his wife of 41 years, Laurie McAnulty; three daughters, Elizabeth McAnulty (and son-in-law, David Peake-Jones) of Easthampton, Mass., Zoe McAnulty (and son-in-law, Okwukwe Ibiam) of Randolph, Mass., and Sarah McAnulty of Northampton, Mass.; two brothers and a sister, John McAnulty of Portland, Oregon, James McAnulty of Cambridge, Maryland, and Elizabeth McAnulty of Wayland, Mass.; two granddaughters, Chinedu and Kelechi Ibiam; and nephews, a niece, an aunt, and many cousins. A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Worthington, Mass., on Saturday, November 30, at 3 p.m., with a reception and celebration of his life to follow. Rather than any flowers, the family will be very grateful for any donations made in his name to Singers’ Project, 202 Harkness Road, Amherst, Mass. 01002; Pioneer Vallet Capella, P.O. Box 192, Cummington, Mass. 01026; or Schola Nova, 41 Riverview St., Springfield, Mass. 01108-1634.