Marion "Mickey" Bullock

Mickey Bullock, age 85, of South Chatham, MA died unexpectedly in Newport, RI on August 15, 2026. She was with her entire family and was surrounded by love and light. She will be remembered for her enthusiasm, kindness, and loyalty. We will miss her dazzling smile and infectious laugh.

Mickey was born on January 16, 1941 in Newark, NJ. She was the youngest of Anson and Anna Kurtz’s eight children. She grew up in Maplewood, NJ where she attended Seth Boyden Elementary School, Maplewood Junior High, and graduated from Columbia High School in 1959. In high school, Mickey was the captain of the twirling team and dreamed of one day auditioning for the Rockettes.

Mickey put herself through college (Newark State) while working as a waitress at the Sip & Sup Diner in Morristown, NJ. It was there that she met the love of her life, Mike Bullock, the boss's son. It all started with a first date to the movies to see Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Thus began a lifetime of love, family, adventure, and travel.

Mickey and Mike married in January of 1962 before Mike left for basic training with the US Marine Corps. Mickey stayed in New Jersey to finish her teaching degree, as she had promised her mother, and then joined Mike in Beaufort, SC. She taught at the base elementary school during Mike’s deployment. They became parents in July of 1964 (Michael Jr.) and again in September of 1965 (Kathy).

The couple moved to Ridgefield, CT in 1967 after Mike joined TWA as a pilot. They became parents again in May of 1971 (Surprise! Stephanie). Mickey spent many happy years in Ridgefield raising her family and volunteering in her children’s schools. She was a member of Ridgefield Baptist Church. She loved jazzercise and paddle tennis. Mickey spent countless hours attending her children's ballet recitals, jazz band concerts, and sports competitions – from football to swimming to field hockey to track meets to basketball games. Eventually as her children grew older, she went back to teaching; first at Ridgebury Elementary School and then at Veterans Park Elementary School where she was a Title I math specialist. In her spare time she accompanied Mike on his trips including flights to Cairo, Madrid, Lisbon—always up for an adventure, always coming home with stories.

Mickey and Mike’s grandest adventure was moving to Taipei, Taiwan in 1992 when Mike accepted a job with EVA Airlines. Mickey pivoted to teaching English to EVA employees. She took Mandarin language classes, and joined the American Club where she and Mike made lasting friendships with people from around the world – many of whom remain friends today. They expanded their travels to places such as New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Phuket, anywhere EVA flew.

Tragedy struck in March of 1998 when Mike died in a plane crash in California. They had recently purchased their retirement home in South Chatham, MA, around the corner from the cottage where they had spent many summers with family and friends. Mickey lived in this home for 29 years until her passing. The weeks and months following Mike’s death were difficult, but Mickey’s mantra each morning was “Get up; get dressed; and get out.” Her friend shared, “she showed grace and strength and never allowed the hardships she faced to take away her warmth and kind spirit.” Through difficult times, Mickey turned to her faith to guide her daily life.

Her latter years were possibly her most active, with days spent golfing, tap dancing, playing Mahjong and Canasta, volunteering at the Chatham Food Pantry and at the Uncommon Thrift store to name just a few! She worked for close to two decades at the Chatham Chamber of Commerce where she greeted tourists with a smile and sometimes a sassy quip (“You want to see the sharks? Put on a wetsuit and swim with the seals; you’ll see them up close and personal!”) as well as greeting the four-legged visitors with a biscuit and pet. She was a member of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church where she always attended the quieter 8:00 AM service. Once again, Mickey traveled often to visit her family in Oregon, and with her friends on many trips both in the United States and abroad. One of her favorite trips was to Nashville, TN where she connected with old friends and made new ones. They shared laughs over meals and music.

Chatham was not only her home but her loving community. She brought her energy and commitment to each group she was associated with. Her friends know her as the person who always said yes to an outing: yes, I’ll go to the movies; yes, I’ll go to the Angler baseball game; yes, I’ll go for a walk, and on and on.

Mickey was an inspiration to her family and community. She was immensely proud of her grandchildren and their accomplishments. She kept active in all parts of her life and prioritized friendship, some lasting more than 70 years. Mickey was gregarious, well-read, practical, crafty, and upbeat. She loved nothing more than a gathering with music, dancing, and celebration—even better if there was a theme. Mickey’s presence made every social situation better. We will all strive to age with the same zest for life and commitment to community.

Mickey was preceded in death by her parents Anson and Anna Kurtz, her seven brothers and sisters, Deborah, Jean, Louis, Seymour, Albert, Minalee, and Barbara; and her husband Michael Edward Bullock Sr. She is survived by her son Michael Jr. and his wife Joan; her daughter Kathleen Diamond and her husband Peter; her daughter Stephanie Shanley and her husband Rick; her six granddaughters: Cassandra Bullock and Anna Bullock Kingston (husband, Matthew), Caroline and Phoebe Diamond, Elyse and Lauren Shanley; her grandson Ryan Shanley and his wife Jocelyn Morin; three granddogs and a grandcat; numerous nieces and nephews and many many friends.

A memorial service will be held on September 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Chatham, MA. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Chatham Food Pantry where Mickey volunteered or to the Cape Cod Foundation which provides grants to many organizations near and dear to Mickey’s heart.

Make checks payable to Chatham Food Pantry

And mail to: Chatham Food Pantry

625 Main Street

Chatham, MA 02633

Or donate online at stchristopherschatham.org

Donate at capecodfoundation.org

where you can select which organization you would like to support in Mickey’s name.