Obituary

Michael J. Storer, obituary

Fri, 05/12/2017 - 11:30am

WARREN – Michael John Storer, 70, unexpectedly died May 8, 2017, at his home in Warren.

Mike was born in Chicago, Ill., on June 16, 1946, the oldest son of Dr. and Mrs. John Burton Storer. His early childhood was spent in Los Alamos, N.M., with a brief stint at Fort Knox, Ky. The family relocated to Bar Harbor, where Mike attended and graduated from Bar Harbor High School, Class of 1964. Mike was very active in high school, serving on the Student Council and as class president his senior year. He was a member of the National Honor Society and was on the Honor Roll all four years. He played baseball and football all through high school, serving as a football captain both his junior and senior years. His prowess on the football field earned him All-Conference honors and recruitment to continue playing in college. He also served as the sports editor of the school newspaper.

It was in Bar Harbor that he met the love of his life, Madeleine Anne Burger. Madeleine was from New York City but spent the summers working in Bar Harbor. Mike first spotted Madeleine sitting on a blanket in the town square. While playing Frisbee with a friend, Mike ensured a wayward Frisbee landed near Madeleine to spark a conversation. They were married for 46 years until Madeleine's unexpected passing in 2013.

Mike started college at Colby College in Waterville, but moved out west with his new wife, Madeleine, and graduated from the University of Western New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in English. While in New Mexico Mike and Maddy had their first and only child, a son, John.

After college, Mike had a short stint as a journalist with the Denver Post, but bounced around the country finally settling on the family farm in Warren. Mike was the ninth generation of the Storer family to live on the farm. The farmhouse was initially very rustic, with a two seat outhouse and no running water. Water for drinking and bathing was pulled from a spring down over the back field. They embraced a back-to-land lifestyle, growing vegetables and raising cows, pigs and chickens.

Eventually Mike needed outside employment and took a job at the former National Sea Products in Rockland. One of his proudest accomplishments was his advancement at National Sea. He started off working on a third shift clean-up crew, advancing through the production line ranks, and eventually to managing their sales department. In a management role he ended up overseeing National Sea's plant in Portsmouth, N.H. Eventually tired of commuting between the family property in Warren and Portsmouth, N.H., Mike took employment back in Rockland. He finished his career in semi-retirement, working for the Wooden Screen Door Company in Waldoboro.

Mike was predeceased by his wife, Madeleine; and is survived by a sister, Katherine of Bangor; a brother, Stephen of Bar Harbor; his son, John and his wife, Karen, and their daughter, Madeleine Anne, who was named for her grandmother.

Mike's son is planning a private remembrance for family sometime this summer on the family farm.

In lieu of any flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, P.O. Box 1294, Rockland, ME 04841.

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home.