Sent to my children, Nov 12, 2015 Dear Children, Our friend, and yours, passed away this morning Mick and I kind of grew up together. We both were in the Air Force stationed in Germany, with the missile wing at the same time, as brown bar 2nd Lieutenants. Sally and I were newlys and Mick a bachelor. After Thad came along, we moved from the German village to the Air Base, and Mick and a couple of other young officers took over our house in the village. We all left Germany at the same time, to attend the University of Oklahoma, to become weather guys, and rented apartments in the same building in Moore, OK. It was a new building at that time and we shared driving to classes in Norman. Mick was still a bachelor, but went home to Kentucky over the Christmas holidays and returned with his lovely bride, Marilyn. Our school life was made easier by having the two of them near by, and Sally took a liking to Marilyn, and Marilyn to Sally, and to Thad and Jennifer. Mick and I shared time in Vietnam. Mick was stationed in Saigon with the Air Force, and I was up country assigned to the Army for a year. We got together on those occasions when I had to attend meetings in Saigon. Mick was worried that he did not have a weapon for his protection, when the Chinese New Year, Tet, was almost upon us. So the next time I had to go to Saigon, I took him a captured Ak47 and a few extra fully loaded magazines. You should have seen the look in his eyes. Mick and Marilyn had two tours of duty at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, while we were living in Ralston, NE, and his final assignment before retirement, was at Whitman AFB in northwest Missouri, so we got to see them again on many occasions. By this time, we were full grown children, and our crew had added Brad and Liz to the roll call, so there were plenty of old and lots of young ones for them to enjoy. Mick liked playing his 12 string guitar for all of you and singing folk songs like “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly….” Mick and Marilyn were devastated when Sally died. Over the following years Pat came into our lives, who they readily accepted, and we enjoyed many trips together, like Vancouver Island, Eastern Canada Maritimes, and a road trip up through the Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys. Think Corvette Museum for example. They have been at our home, and we at theirs, most recently when Pat and I traveled to their home in Bartlett, TN to have a final visit with Mick. Marilyn has arranged for a military funeral for Mick, to go with his wishes. Marilyn’s mother who also lives within the household, is getting up there in the years and so Marilyn has her hands full taking care of Mom, as well. Mick was also a poet earning great honors for his writing. He published a book of his poems entitled “Like a River”. He was a good friend, a good person, He will be missed. With Love, Dad (Mike Alexander)
