Michael George McGuirk was born on July 19 ^th , 1948, 74 years ago to Myrtle and George McGuirk of Arlington, Virginia.

He attended St. Thomas Moore Elementary and played on the Arlington, County Black Nights Football team through his grade school years. He then went to O'Connell Catholic High School where he became a star football player. He was Captain of the Football team.  In his senior year he transferred and played football for Flynt Hill Preparatory School where he graduated in 1966.  Mike received a football scholarship to play ball for East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where he received his business degree in 1970. Mike was on the ECU team that played Marshall University in 1970.  ECU won the game, but Mike's exhilaration of victory was short-lived.  The flight returning the Marshall players and coaches to Huntington, West Virginia crashed with all 75 souls onboard. This event at a young age cemented Mike's instincts to make a positive contribution to the community while you can.

Throughout his college career Mike spent his summers in Ocean City, Maryland.  He started as a lifeguard on 7 ^th street beach and finished his Beach Patrol career 5 years later as a Crew Chief.  Snow skiing was another passion of Mike's. After graduating from college, he spent his winters with some of his Ocean City friends working at New England ski resorts.

In 1974 Mike married his Ocean City sweetheart Victoria, a Phillips Crab House girl. Mike and Victoria moved to Port Orange Florida 48 years ago to open and manage a Pappy's Restaurant with another Ocean City friend.   Not satisfied with a restaurant career, Mike took post graduate courses in computer science and applied for a job with Computer Science Corporation at the Kennedy Space Center.  Over the course of a 31-year career he rose to be a Manager for Firing Rooms 1 and 2 of the Space Shuttle Program. He liked to joke that on launch day, he was the one to "light the fuse" and run.  After 31 years at the Space Center, he retired in 2012. For several years after he retired, he coached football at Spruce Creek High School and then Father Lopez Catholic High School.

In 1977 and 1980 respectively Mike and Victoria's daughter Kristine and son Matthew were born.  During this period, Mike and Victoria became very involved in the community.  They were co-founders of the Port Orange Pop Warner football league.  Mike was a coach and Football Commissioner for years and watched the Pop Warner Program grow and flourish!  Mike and Victoria's biggest joy in these later years was Kristine's marriage to Jon Reed in 2010 and then the birth of their granddaughter, Mia Mattison in 2012 and grandson, Clyde Michael in 2014!

Throughout his life Mike was always a positive force in his community.  Whether football or Beach Patrol he stayed in contact and participated in reunions and events.  He always took the initiative to keep his Ocean City friends and East Carolina friends together.  For example, it was Mike that contacted Lucky Jordan, a legendary Ocean City lifeguard from the 1950's who was living near him in Titusville, Florida, and brought him up to Ocean City for Beach Patrol events.

During these years Mike and Victoria dealt with personal tragedy.  Their son Matt was struggling with addiction from being sexually abused by his teacher as a young boy.  He testified in 1989 to put his predator in prison for 150 years.  Sadly, Matt passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2011.  Mike and Victoria overcame their grief and instead made a positive contribution by starting the Straight Up SolGier Foundation.  The name and concept for the foundation of helping others in situations like his were developed by Matt prior to his untimely death.  Straight Up SolGier Foundation has helped hundreds of local kids and adults get FREE counseling.  Recently, Mike and Victoria handed the reins over to a new board of directors, who will continue the amazing work the McGuirk family started 11 years ago.

Along with the posthumous contribution to the community through the SolGier foundation, Mike is still contributing to the football community.   Mike's brain is being studied at Boston University for evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).  Although Mike loved football, it probably contributed to his mental decline starting 10 years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Victoria, daughter Kristine Reed, her husband Jon Reed and their grandchildren Mia and Clyde Reed.

Mike's Funeral Service will be held at Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach, located at 733 West Granada Blvd., on Sunday, September 25 ^th , with a visitation at 2:00 pm and service at 3 pm.

In lieu of Flowers, the McGuirk Family asks that anyone so moved to contribute can choose:

• Straight Up SolGier Foundation
• Port Orange Youth Football Association (POYFA), Mike McGuirk College Scholarship Fund

Please send to our home (954 Bramble Bush Circle West, Port Orange, Florida 32127) so our Family can properly thank those who want to donate and ensure all donations go to the proper organization.

For more information www.straightupsolgier.org or www.poyfa.com

Condolences for the family may be shared below on Mike's Guestbook.