Mr. Michael Tony Mau A. Fernandes

Mr. Michael A. Fernandes was a man for whom actions would speak louder than words. His life motto might well have been “if it isn’t logical, it’s not important.” The qualities of being fair, just and the ability to recognize what was right were clearly driving forces in Michael’s life. He was also the kind of person who could respect a “do not disturb” sign, whether it was real or implied. He was analytical and observant, with an ability to be simultaneously spontaneous and keenly perceptive. Michael was modest in his actions and extremely literal in his thoughts and in the manner in which he communicated with others. When Michael said something, he meant it. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.

His parents were Alexander and Asuncion. Michael was raised in Mumbai, India. Even as a small child, Michael wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As Michael grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, he treated everyone around him the same way. Often times his mother would hide his tattoos so that his father would not see them.

Since Michael sought to treat those around him with respect, he often found himself in the role of playing peacemaker within his family. He was comfortable in working through the types of sibling rivalry situations that quite often occur, because he loved the challenge of conflict resolution. He would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. Michael was raised with four siblings. He had two sisters Ramona and Lucy, and two brothers Joe and Victor (deceased). Michael was constantly involved in activities with his siblings. Michael and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they shared many life experiences.

During his childhood, family and friends viewed Michael as a quiet and reserved person with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. In fact, he was a fairly curious child who had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside stimulation. A great deal of Michael’s free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide. He took part in field hockey. In his spare time he liked listening to and collecting music. His favorite book was Robin Hood. He also enjoyed making paper stars at Christmas with his friends. It was customary, in India, to make paper stars and there were competitions in whose star was the biggest. He also loved going to Goa. Michael's memorable achievements included winning a trophy for hockey.

The fact that he was curious was an asset to Michael while he was in school. He possessed strong study skills, good concentration and excellent penmanship. He relished the task of scrutinizing problems, investigating all of the options and then solving them. Michael enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of problem solving that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. Experience was Michael’s best teacher. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers especially the ones that revolved around sports and dancing.

The same qualities that served as assets for Michael while he was in high school were tools that built success in his college years. His ability to work through problems and assignments without wasting time and energy demonstrated to his instructors that he possessed a real “stick to it” attitude that allowed him to succeed despite an underlying desire to defer making difficult decisions. Michael was an analytical and an independent thinker, qualities that allowed him to develop and implement effective strategies and techniques to meet his college workload. He was a licensed air conditioning and airline mechanic.

Those who didn’t know Michael well might have thought him to be objective and somewhat emotionally detached, but family and friends who were close to him knew that he was capable of unexpected flashes of humor. Michael’s good friends tended to be “thinkers” like himself. Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and Michael liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. Michael was well known for always being up front and open, never hiding his true feelings, qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. Another quality that people admired in Michael was his ability to link cause and effect and apply the appropriate connection in his assessment of any new situation. Early on in life, he became friends with Rajan Nireswalia, with whom he thought of like a brother.

This same loyalty and up front honesty Michael shared with his friends carried over to other aspects of his life, including his relationships with his family. The marriage became a solid relationship, due in part to Michael’s skill at bringing fresh energy and clarity to meeting Philomena's needs. He was a great listener who enjoyed the couple’s “together” time, especially when it came to celebrating special occasions.

As the family grew, Michael was easily able to adapt to the changes and challenges of parenthood. Michael was blessed with three, Debbie, Michelle and Derek. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Joshua and Daniel. Michael was never impulsive in dealing with family problems. Instead, he would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner.

In his work life, Michael was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. He excelled at dealing with those pesky details that can derail some people, and once he understood exactly why he was working on a project, he could plow full steam ahead. For Michael, being able to grasp the logical components of any task was significant to him in appreciating its importance. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, Michael was able to incorporate and welcome new insights from co-workers, and he would readily use them if they improved the process. His primary occupation was as an inspector at General Motors. He was employed first as an air conditioning mechanic in India, then worked on hydraulics at Kuwait Airways. Michael always made the effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Michael’s curious and inquisitive nature influenced his choice of leisure pursuits as well. He applied his strong concentration and analytical skills as to how things worked to his choice of activities. He particularly enjoyed the “alone” time his hobbies provided. He was a handyman and was also an "inventor" by necessity. Michael was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Michael had the ability to stay calm and the determination to do what was necessary to get the job finished, traits that helped him enjoy sports. Michael was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were ice hockey, tennis and soccer.

Michael was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Michael’s favorites was Elroy, a dog.

As his retirement approached, Michael viewed the event as just one more project to research and solve. In retirement, he loved walking the dog.

Michael passed away on September 18, 2011 at home. Michael fought a brave battle against Mesothelioma. Michael was not one to complain about pain and he often his pain from his loved one, so as not to worry them. He perked up when he spoke to his family abroad and would always tell them he was "fine". He is survived by his wife Philo, daughters Debbie and Michelle, son Derek, Clive and his grandkids Joshua and Daniel. Services were held at St. Joseph's Highland Creek Church. Michael was laid to rest in Christ the King Cemetery in Markham, Ontario.

The experiences Michael treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. Mr. Michael A. Fernandes will be greatly missed.

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Family and friends may gather at Giffen-Mack Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 4115 Lawrence Avenue East, West Hill, ON. (one block West of Kingston Road) 416-281-6800 on Tuesday September 20, 2011 from 2 - 4pm & 7 - 9pm. Mass of Christain burial Wednesday September 21, 2011 at 10am at St. Joseph's Highland Creek Church (200 Morrish Road). Cremation. In Lieu of flowers, as an expression of sympathy donations may be made to Princess Margaret Hospital.