We were notified Mike McCamanant class of 1968 passed away on his birthday, March 6, 2025. He was 75 years old and had battled cancer for the previous two+ years.
Mike is survived by his wife, Jerri.
Additional information will be added as received.
Thank you to his brother-in-law, Nick Hall class of 1968 for notification.
Published October 8, 1969 Lansing State Journal
Published August 11, 1988 Lansing State Journal
Father's Death Notice
William Byrd (1968)
In the summer of 1972, I built a sailboat with some friends in Sebewaing, a small town in the thumb. After the boat was sail worthy, Mike and sailed the 30 miles across the Saginaw Bay to Linwood where the boat was to be moored. As we did not have a license for the catamaran, we thought it would be a good idea to make the crossing at night, even though the boat had no lights. It was exhilarating but was even more so the next day when Mike thought it would be good idea to see how the boat would perform in very strong winds. It was an offshore breeze, so there were hardly any waves. It was still frightening and we lost couple of hatches. I can see Mike at the tiller with a huge smile on his face. His enthusiasm was infectious.
At the end of that summer, we drove to Lake Superior and camped on the banks of the Presque Isle River, the only time I tried to swim in Lake Superior. I think I stopped before the water got to my knees, but it still took 15 minutes for me to feel on my toes. Mike went further.