Michael Mursell Savage

MICHAEL MURSELL SAVAGE

Born September 20, 1927 in Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight, England

Died March 9, 2017 in Petaluma, California

Michael immigrated with his family to New York City in 1930. He married his first wife, Martha Jane Quimby, in 1950 in Sharon, MA and moved several times during their early marriage including Foxboro, MA, Spokane, WA, Sedalia MO, and Boise, ID.   While in Boise he worked maintaining early flight simulators at Mountain Home AFB.  He and Martha Jane were very active in the Boise Little Theater and he cleared ski trails at Bogus Basin. In 1959 he accepted a job with the company that was developing the first automated ticketing machine for the airline industry, with United Airlines being there first customer.   He became manager of their San Francisco office in 1961 and first settled in Petaluma at that time.  His hobby then was fishing off Tomales and Bodega Bays, and he enjoyed exploring the west coast on many camping trips.  He was drawn to Seattle and took a job with Boeing where he loved boating and fishing in the Puget Sound area and skiing. Then Boeing entered its worst down period with layoffs so severe that the last person leaving Seattle was supposed to turn the lights out. He returned to his previous job which resulted in relocating to Connecticut for 2 years and then moving to Los Angeles for 18 months and finally returning to the San Francisco office and moving back to Petaluma.  He enjoyed bowling and was asked to join the Tuttle Drug bowling team about 1976.   That was where he met his second wife, Mary, who was a pharmacist at Tuttle Drug Co in Petaluma.   She was widowed and Michael was divorced from Martha Jane and they fell in love and were married in 1978.   Michael tried his hand at real estate with Westgate Realty for a short time then retired so that he and Mary could build their dream home in Sereno Del Mar just north of Bodega Bay, doing much of the finish work on the home themselves.  They lived there for 10 years while Mary commuted to work in Petaluma and then they decided to buy country property in Petaluma so Michael could be closer to his golfing buddies and Mary would no longer have to commute.  They bought 2 and ½ acres in the country just west of town and Michael was able to enjoy woodworking in his large workshop (barn) and gardening.  They had many fruit trees including 14 olive trees.  They loved donating extra produce to Petaluma Bounty and to PEP Housing.   When age and poor health caught up with Michael last year they decided to sell their mini-farm and move to a comfortable home with a small back yard garden on the east side of Petaluma.  Michael was a proud member of SIRS 58 men’s club in Petaluma and was the only member to serve as Big Sir twice.  He was a member of Elim Lutheran Church.   He was preceded in death by his elder son Mark, and is survived by Mary, his wife of nearly 40 years, daughters Sharon (husband Norm Austin) of Nampa, Idaho and Kathy (husband Miles Ulrich) of Monroe, Washington, and son David of Chiloquin, Oregon, daughter-in-law Karen Barale of Lacey, Washington; 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandsons.  At his request there will be no service. Contributions to PEP Housing at 951 Petaluma Blvd South in Petaluma or Elim Lutheran Church would be appreciated.  The family would like to thank all the staff at Vineyard Post Acute Care for their wonderful compassionate care of Michael during his last illness.