“Of all the souls I have known, his was the most… human.” - The Wrath of Khan (Star Trek II)
Michael A.G. Madden was born January 30, 1959, to Clive and Vera Holness Madden, citizens of the British West Indies colony of Jamaica. Mike attended Westinghouse Technical High School and graduated from Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and a degree in Business Management.
Mike loved the military and dedicated his life to it. In 1987, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia. After initial Aviation Branch & Flight Training, he attained the designation ‘Army Aviator’ from the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. In 1991, after Branch qualification, he became a maintenance Test Pilot and over the years, held a variety of command and staff positions here at home and abroad, most notably in Korea and later in Germany.
After leaving active duty in 1993, Mike continued his service to the country as part of the Individual Ready Reserve. He worked briefly in the Private Sector as a data systems manager for an import/export firm. He returned to service later as an Active Reserve Guard (AGR) officer with the US Army Reserves with the 76th Institutional Training Division, the 311th Theater Signal Command, and the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve G-3/5/7.
Mike’s many awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Aviator Badge and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2013 but returned to working as a contractor at Ft. Belvoir, VA, with TAPE, LLC.
Michael’s beloved parents wouldn’t allow his American citizenship to overshadow his Jamaican heritage and, starting in 1965, would take him ‘home’ where he met other family members and friends. Mike seemed to be exceedingly happy to meet his many cousins and shared his love of science fiction – especially Star Trek – with them. He would take with him boxes of comics and cassettes of his favorite music to introduce to his Jamaican cousins and, to this day, is remembered as the greatest influence on them – well, when it came to sci-fi movies and TV shows.
Mike was generous, cheerful and wicked smart with a mind like a steel trap. He was a history buff and one of his cousins with whom he would spend hours on the phone, remembered him expounding at length on American History, Hollywood and Busby Berkley musicals. Mike could quote whole swaths of dialogue from his favorite films, especially the Star Wars series, whether they were the original three, the prequels or the sequels.
When Mike told the family - immediate and extended – that he intended to marry the lovely and talented Carla Goring, daughter of Janet and Max, old family friends, many scratched their heads. Apparently, the cousins with whom he spent many enjoyable summers, were not all blood relatives. Mike and Carla were thought of by some as cousins, so close was the bond that apparently started when Mike first visited Jamaica in 1965. (Carla was all of five months old.)
After the head-scratching and confusion subsided, Mike and Carla were married on December 28, 1996, in Kingston, Jamaica. In 2000, they welcomed Marissa and then, four years later, Cathryn. During the next 22 years, Mike and his family faced several health challenges, but never once did he lose his innate optimism, generosity and charm.
Mike – husband, father, brother, cousin and friend - is sorely missed, and will be missed as long as those with whom he shared his life, however briefly, exist. He leaves behind his wife Carla, his daughters Marissa and Cathryn, his sister Winsome, his brother Linton and numerous cousins, family members, friends and colleagues.
In lieu of flowers, please, make donations in Mike’s memory to The National Air & Space Museum for the Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit and the Space Exhibit.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18