Michael J. Carey

Michael J. Carey, Sr., 86, passed away in Warminster, PA on Monday, December 24, 2018. A longtime resident of the Philadelphia area and Sea Isle City, NJ, Michael was born on March 8, 1932 in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia to Edward and Sarah (Devlin) and was the oldest of five, including Margaret (Bob Rich), Bernard (Sue), Bridget (Jack McPeak), and Edward (Mary-Alice). Michael attended La Salle College High School and later La Salle University, receiving a degree in English, which presumably laid the foundation for his love of literature and related storytelling, often with himself as the protagonist. After serving in the U.S. Army, Michael married his childhood sweetheart, Geraldine (McCracken), and had six children: Margaret, Michele (Joel Markwell), Joanne (Michael Marzano, Sr.), Michael, Jr. (Rosemarie), Jacquelyn (Elmer Clawges), and Geraldine. Later in life, Michael was a husband to Karen Jones and had another son, Devlin. Although he begrudged the particular title, Michael was also a caring Pop-Pop to many, including Michael, Jaclyn, Alexander, Hunter, Olivia, Luke, and Isabel.    Michael was an avid golfer, gin player, cross-puzzler, and conversationalist with a keen wit (especially if a beautiful woman was involved) and an understated yet enduring well of compassion for his fellow man. Inherently resilient, Michael was a charismatic and respected figure in the lives of many, serving first in the classroom as an English teacher and subsequently in the barroom as a restaurant owner, initially of the Oreland Inn in Oreland, PA and later of Carey’s 19th Hole in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia.    In the various and sundry walks of his colorful and robust life, Michael maintained the capacity to light up any room in which he found himself. Without fail, the gentlest of nudges would yield a quick and confident song. But whatever the Sinatra number, Michael’s light is not lost on those he crossed paths with, loved, and leaves behind, and while we will profoundly miss his presence in our lives, we keep heart with the knowledge that the sunlight will fall a bit more brightly on the Atlantic from this point forward.    A memorial luncheon will be held at on Jan 5th at Old York Road CC, 801 Tennis Ave, Ambler PA 19002. The memorial will begin at 12:00 pm and end at 3:00 pm.   In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: https://www.alz.org/nca/donate