Michael A. Conway

And now, the end is near; And so I face the final curtain; My friend, I'll say it clear. I'll state my case, of which I'm certain; I've lived a life that's full; I traveled each and every highway; And more, much more than this; I did it my way – Frank Sinatra

Michael “Mike” Conway was born in Hoboken, NJ to Michael and Margaret Conway. He passed away peacefully at home with family at his side. He made the most out of his 90 long years! He had a schoolboy charm that drew people to him like a moth which helped him gather friends from all over the world. He was a connoisseur of the finer things, but his guilty pleasure was watching British TV and reality shows! He will be remembered for his stories about his travels, his time in the military, and the lessons he learned while living/working abroad.

Mike received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from St. Louis University and participated in Air Force ROTC. Upon graduation he worked at McDonnell Aircraft as a wind tunnel test engineer before being called up in 1956 to serve in the USAF as a refueling jet pilot. He piloted KC-97G tankers over the North Atlantic and Arctic and was part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). He ultimately achieved the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged.

From there he worked for Grumman Aircraft as a flight test engineer before getting a job at Bell Labs where he worked on the Telstar program (sending satellites into space). This led to his participation in the NASA Mercury, Gemini, and Appollo shuttle missions. He received his Master of Business degree from St. John’s University while working at Bell Labs (became AT&T).

He began working internationally in the late 70’s when he was asked by Bell Labs to work in Iran. He was there for about 3 years. In the mid 80’s he was sent to Taiwan to be the Vice President of Administration. Again, he spent about 3 years there.

Once retired, he spent his time teaching math and business courses at TAFE (Australia) and McCann School of Business (Allentown, PA) while consulting internationally in Saudi Arabia, Taiwan/Hong Kong, Bahrain, and Australia. He ultimately settled in Lakewood Ranch, Florida where he played cornhole and card games. He participated in Friday night karaoke, the whisky club, veteran’s events and hosted parties for his neighbors/friends.

Mike is predeceased by his parents Margaret and Michael, his brother Martin, his sister-in-law Frances, brother in law Earl LeDet, and his wife Gail. He leaves behind his 3 daughters Sarah Conway of Wenatchee, WA; Elizabeth (Joseph) Sterling and her children Blake and Brooke of Kyle, Texas; Susan (Charles) Billard and her children Joshua and Jacob of Bradenton, Florida; his siblings Maureen Conway LeDet, Mark Conway and sister-in-law JoAnn Conway; his nieces Meggin (Jerome) McCarthy and Sharon (Tom) Cording; nephews Todd (Amanda) Conway and Martin (Cindy) Conway.

A gathering of Friends & Family for Michael will be held Monday, July 14, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Home at Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave, Sarasota, FL 34232, followed by a Celebration of Life from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Wreaths Across America or the Gary Sinise Foundation. You may click on the links below to donate to either organization.