Michael McPhie

Born April 8, 1946 to Joseph M. McPhie and Ruth Buehner McPhie, in Tampa, Florida, Mike moved numerous times with his Air Force parents to Texas, California, Washington, Utah, Kansas, Mississippi, Ohio and Washington, D.C., where he graduated from Surrattsville High School in Maryland.

A natural leader, Mike took care of his five siblings as a loving older brother. He was a hard worker who achieved the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, delivered heavy Washington Post newspapers, and worked at the U.S. Library of Congress.

From 1967 to 1969, Mike served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Texas Dallas Mission, where he was introduced to the friendliness of the South that influenced his life.

Mike graduated from Brigham Young University where he was one of the early members of the BYU International Folk Dancers with Mary Bee Jensen and traveled through Europe on tour. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and worked at BYU’s computer department for years.

A man of many skills, Mike obtained his commercial pilot license and owned two Cessna airplanes. He was also a locksmith and was always asked by family and friends to fix nearly everything that was broken.

For the past 30 years, Mike has been a Cruise Director for CruiseOne in Utah Valley and developed a list of longtime clients because of his friendly nature and keen attention to the details of their vacations. With that, he has helped many people enjoy the trip of a lifetime.

In the 10 years following his mother's death, Mike became a loyal and caring companion to his father, enjoying meals, movies, symphonies and lots of smiles. Hours spent together drew them closer and filled the void left by Ruth’s absence.

Kind-hearted, magnanimous and dependable, Mike freely shared his home with those who needed a place to stay, and raised up a family of grateful friends. Through a lifetime of similar deeds, he influenced the lives of countless people looking for help in times of need. He was admired for many things, including his wit, young heart, practical intelligence and relentless emphasis on education for those around him. One person said, “Mike was a mentor and father figure who got me into Scouts and saved my life from the path I was on.” Another shared, “Mike was the only grandfather-figure my children have ever known.”

Mike is survived by his siblings, Craig (Marilyn), Kathy Crabb, Becky (Clark) Reeder, Debbie (Tim) Brown, 9 nieces, 12 nephews, and their families, along with his own family of friends, Scott Wilson, Jason Scott, Travis LeBaron, Allison LeBaron, Justin Reeder, Jeremy Huddleston, Dominic Migliaccio, Brenden Coli, Steve & Kristi Davis and many others. He was preceded in death by his parents, Patricia McPhie (sister), Brian (Rusty) Crabb (brother-in-law) and his beloved Sadie, Gaia and Puppy.

A private memorial service was held April 8, 2020. Burial will be at Wasatch Lawn in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tribute Video:

https://youtu.be/beU7mxhyW-M