R.I.P. Michael Francis Thompson (11 Feb 1951 - 10 Mar 2025; Age 74). 
We jokingly called him Sri Mikey. He was a seeker of spiritual wisdom, and lived in a yoga house for several years. While I stayed there, he taught me to say The Sufi Prayer at mealtimes. I can still recite it by heart: "All life is one / and everything that lives is holy: / plants, animals, and beings. / All must eat to live / and to nourish one another. / We bless the lives that have died / to give us food. / Let us eat consciously, / resolving by our work / to pay the debt of our existence. / -Amen." Earlier, he and I had been workout partners on the Chelmsford [MA] HS track team. We were fairly evenly matched, but he was always just a little faster. At one point, Mike amazed me by sailing across the Atlantic in a 30-foot ketch. His first fiancée died unexpectedly, and I attended the funeral to support him. His father was walking with me, as we went to our seats in the church. Mike was in front of us, and reached back to take my hand. Dr. Thompson misunderstood, and grabbed Mike's hand instead. It was a lovely moment. Mike had been estranged from his Dad for a long time, and this was the perfect way for them to reconnect. Mike pulled me aside later, saying, "That was weird." I replied, "Yeah. Weird, but wonderful!" Sri Mikey subsequently married a woman at Sedona's Cathedral Rock, which is reportedly located on one of the Arizona town's famous Vortexes. The marriage didn't last very long, and I lost track of him for a few years. When we found each other again, he was living with a powerhouse political activist. Julia O'Connell led the resistance against monochloramine implementation by the Kittery [ME} Water District, and was elected to the entity's board of trustees. Anikó and I went to visit them, during our first post-Covid vacation. They were very happy together, and I was relieved that Mike had finally found a lasting love. Last year, he and I commiserated through our respective Prostate Torture experiences. It looked like his surgery results were a bit better than mine, and I envied him. But he had a weak heart, which gave out last night, at home with Julia.
1969: Chelmsford HS yearbook [above, tap any pic to enlarge]

1960 (circa): The Thompson brood - Mike is holding Peggy
![tap to enlarge - 1979: Mike sailing a Kittiwake on Buzzards Bay [MA] (courtesy Garret Almeida) 683x1024](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GApszC6YBadjr4ygP6WZI4wuMUMdpzjyu3ifWkLYbDYRByLkhjX1Nque7-vcWmCc8zqj2WDTh8o-1fbB6MPVJPzNMcMxyKO-P9gVGgfDp_hufm0pOztNhCM4x0unPI5uMrDFzaJ8Uf6LZLHJZlkrrMSX2ubWigSavtXF9la26D61mdOPiRBX/s1600/mike79.jpg)
1979 (circa): Sailing Garret Almeida's Kittiwake on Buzzards Bay [MA]
![tap to enlarge - 1980: Mike & Ed Withycombe, Marblehead [MA] (courtesy Garret Almeida) 992x1396](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_O37WXkhqy5aWcBY18SQhaxcesniGgqOmS31THl7zPnnYO-34ek-TEBtLUNo9TYvdM3g910Xm8WYaY21L4K9516JqtjifYxhg6zMFzST-24QYWR1l8F2ioDpFG85ue1f1fjL88RBFZveC9pG5Q5N0invXQH5pQfbqvmaE0bJKiCch4VasriN/s1600/mike80.jpg)
1980: Mike & Ed Withycombe (1951-2017) in Marblehead [MA]

2013 (circa): Mike was a master cabinetmaker

2019 Jan: Old Orchard Beach [ME]
![tap to enlarge - 2021 Jul: Julia, me & Mike, Kittery Point [ME] (courtesy Anikó Bartos) 2016x1512](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMxUoLgLTT-MieVzQj9LEVGfJMm1zHVyTYAOncAhgdq2Pb5GbeM8cZWXU2AKdAjYCv1rE9i4d59OpDiuAQGBw1eH1bZUcEMHx3RrJwLNdTFdxDsa3eB4MPZSt5PPjPBL53xl2TeK9K-PXm_XU4nvNXE99SurOg2kYDrWlMsJxSR4RscjOBYsi/s1600/mike21jul.jpg)
2021 Jul: Julia, me & Mike, Kittery Point [ME]

2023 Dec: Nice pants!
Obituary.
Grave. Also:
Chris Worth.
Labels: mt
Heroes in the family.

My late stepdad,
John E. “Jack” Cauley (1930-2021), earned a
Silver Star in Korea in August 1950, for conspicuous gallantry in exposing himself to enemy fire as he knocked out a tank with a rocket-launching bazooka. He also received multiple Purple Hearts for his service in Korea,
1950Sep12 &
1951Jan30, when he was seriously wounded in action by missiles.
My late uncle,
Harley Stuart Baird (1921-1997), earned a
Silver Star in World War II, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as a combat crew member of a B-17 bomber in the Battle of Midway between 3 and 7 June 1942.
Another late uncle,
Harold Octave “Hal” Buzzell (1932-2007), hiked
the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail in 1993 (northbound), an impressive feat for a 61-year-old.

Labels: fam