Deceased January 27, 2022
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In Memory
Mike wrote that, before Amherst, he attended 12 schools, but he quickly found community by introducing himself to every one of his 250 freshman classmates and making friends with four faculty families. As was said of Mike, “he never met a stranger” because of the way he befriended everyone. And could he talk! Stories, comments, questions, positions—good at all. For later class reunions, Mike would call everyone to urge attendance.
Everywhere “Mr. Gregarious” went, and in many ways, he engaged people—with his five children and the Cubs and Indian Guides and hiking and canoeing in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey; with the glassblowers where he worked at Corning; on trips with family members to Russia and to China to visit places where he had grown up and, with classmates, to Italy; during summers in Sebasco with fellow Trekkers of Maine, people at the pro-shop and strangers on the street; and in Durham, N.C., with homeless residents of the church’s inn, people at the YMCA, breakfast group and book club.
At Amherst, Mike majored in economics and joined Psi Upsilon. He was active as manager and member of the championship tennis team, as co-manager of football and as a member of several student publications. After his tour of duty with the Army, Mike earned his MBA at Harvard, where he also met his love Paula Pederson Holden. The MBA led him into executive positions in the glass and chemical industries. With Paula for 64 years, he had five wonderful children and five grandchildren he adored
Mike died on Jan. 27 and leaves his wife, Paula; daughter Martha (Gary); son Gordon (Mary Lou); daughter Ellen (Martin); son Michael (Meagan Muse); son Thomas (Lyn); and five grandchildren. All will miss Mike’s voice.
—The Palmer family and George Edmonds ’53