Obituary of Michael Crocker

Michael W. Crocker, a devoted family man, husband, athlete, and outdoors man passed away after a 4 year long battle with cancer on Monday morning, July 21, 2014. He was 55 years old. Mike was born in Wilmington, NC, the son of Gerald and Barbara Crocker who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. His father finished his military service and they settled in Burlington when Mike was a year old. Mike was a star athlete at Burlington High School where he played football, baseball and track. He was a four-year Varsity letterman for football where he accumulated over 2800 yards rushing and in one game against Winchester, he scored 4 touchdowns and ran for 300 yards. He was inducted into the Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. He went onto to play football at Ithaca College. Mike never lost his love of sports and coached baseball and Pop Warner Football for 15 years. He also was an avid fisherman, hunter, skier, and boater. He loved the outdoors, the ocean, and the sharing these moments with his family and friends. Michael was a born salesman. He had a drive to succeed along with a welcoming persona which was well respected by his clients and coworkers. He started as a Real Estate Broker at Prudential Real Estate. He then moved to the mortgage side of real estate working for American Home Loan and Encore Mortgage. At Encore he received numerous awards for Top Sales. He then went to work as the Vice President of Marketing for BIODOME, which manufactures shelters for chemical and biological emergencies. Additionally Michael has served on Burlington’s Board of Assessors for 13 years. Michael was a family man. He married his High School sweetheart, Louise DeLuca and they shared 29 years together as man and wife. He had three children who he adored. They enjoyed family vacations which always included a week on Martha’s Vineyard. Despite his declining health, Mike used all his strength to spend the past week in Martha’s Vineyard together as a family one last time. He watched his children kayak, enjoy the beach, and enjoy one last vacation together as a family. Michael has been supported by all his family and friends during his gallant fight with his cancer – always remaining positive and upbeat. Mike is survived by his wife Louise (DeLuca). Loving father of Curtis, Arielle, and Cody all of Burlington. Son of Gerald “Jerry” & Barbara Crocker of Burlington. Brother of James Crocker of Rindge, NH & his companion Chery Ricci and sister Laurie Gulbrandsen & her husband James of Derry, NH. Son-in-law of the late Concetta DeLuca. Brother-in-law of Doreen & Arthur Boyd of Bedford, Donna Ryan of Franklin, NH & her companion Roger LeBlanc, Deborah & Michael Lewicki of Boxford, Richard DeLuca of Bedford and the late Vincent N. DeLuca of Billerica. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday, July 24 at 9:15 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10:30 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Michael’s name may be made to the Crocker Family Fund, c/o Northern Bank, 13 Center St., Burlington, MA 01803 or Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226 www.dana-farber.org. Words by Louise Good Morning Curtis, Arielle, Cody and I would like to thank you all for the overwhelming love and support you have showed our family . Michael would be tremendously touched . Where do I begin ……. Saying Michael was an amazing man would be a understatement; his parents, Barbara and Jerry Crocker raised their oldest son to be a wonderful husband, father, and friend. He cared so much about his family, including his brother Jimmy, and sister Laurie. Mike and I were high school sweethearts – you know the old story – he was handsome and the captain of the football team and me, I was the cheerleader. We married in 1985 and two years later had our first child – Curtis. The apple of Michael’s eye. Mike coached Curtis’s Pop Warner foot ball team – a job he loved to do. They also shared a love of hunting, it was ALWAYS hunting season somewhere. I would hear “Louise, it’s the last week in NH!”, then I would hear, “Louise, it’s the last week in Maine!”, then it was, “It’s the last week in Vermont!”, then, “it’s the last week of muzzleloader!”, and it went on and on until hunting season was over 6 months later. Curtis, Michael, and Jimmy spent all that time together, bonding, as boys do. Then along came Arielle – Michael’s Princess. A crown she wore well. Michael adored her – when Arielle left for college at Curry, Mike and I took the ride home in the pouring rain – happy, but also heart broken that his little girl had grown up. When we got home, he lay on her bed to take a nap and low and behold she left a letter for him. In the letter she told him how much she loved her dad, and that she will always remember playing Barbie’s with him on the family room floor – and she said _ “Dad you will always be my Ken”. The two of them shared a very special love. Next – came Cody…. Cody was the athletic chip off the old block. Mike also coached Cody in Pop Warner, and Baseball. In Cody’s senior year – Burlington won the state championship in hockey. Michael was so proud of Cody and would do anything to make sure that he didn’t miss a game. I actually kidnapped him from the hospital and brought him to the Super 8 game, getting him back and tucked into his hospital bed by 11:30 that night. Watching Cody play hockey and golf brought Michael so much joy! Last week while we were on the vineyard – Michael managed to find the energy to sit in the golf cart and watch Cody play the first hole. He had his portable oxygen on and a BIG smile on his face. To him there was nothing better. Life was good. Michael had a never-ending list of friends…he made them while hunting, fishing , boating, at BHS, even at Dunkin Donuts! And so many childhood friends; you all know who you are. And in reading all of the GUEST BOOK ENTRIES over the past 24 hours – I am overwhelmed by the wonderful friends and memories that have been shared. I have received so many texts, emails, and phone calls. For instance, his dearest friends, Steve and Patti, are in Italy and sent me an email. Patti wrote, ”We are lighting candles all over Italy, I can see it now, Mike making excuses for Stephen, “Please, St Peter, Stevie didn’t mean to burn down that 14th century church! He was only doing it for me!” So many people took the time to write how their lives were touched by Michael - The legend of CROCK, CROCKY TIME, and the sheer admiration and great memories on just being in Michaels company. He was really just Mike Crocker – positive, never had a bad word to say about anybody – and as strong as an Ox in his heart and his soul. Speaking about how strong Michael was – his strength was incredible – both mentally and physically; I had just bought a new car – an Expedition so that Michael could tow his boat. He decided to switch his boat trailer from my vehicle to another. BY HIMSELF. Of course – right? Think about it, what normal person would do that? Me – I went into the house thinking – ok. Ten minutes later – Michael comes in the door – bottoms of his feet bloodied. Across my floor. “What happened?” I asked, “Well – I got out of the Expedition to unhook the trailer – so as I was lifting the trailer off the ball hitch – I never put your car in park.. and it was rolling down the street. So I let go of the boat trailer to chase the car – in flip flops – glanced over my shoulder and saw the boat going in the opposite direction. I jumped in your car – threw it in park – and ran down the street – grabbed the trailer hitch and used my feet as leverage to stop the boat.” Well, he did it – no dent in the boat, nor the car – he was incredible. If you were lucky enough to go fishing with Michael – you maybe were asked to participate in the Xmas Eve Pulling of the lobster traps! Michael had no boundaries with the weather – sun, rain, sleet or snow. He was pulling traps – December and all. Many a poor friend thought they would never see Xmas morning. Joe Morandi, and Steve Frasier, you know what I’m talking about! So many of you have spoken of Michael’s strength over the last 4 years, especially. His will and positive attitude in his cancer fight was inspiring to all who knew him. As his good friend Steve Daniel wrote, “Mike was a force of nature”. In more ways than one I might add. ……. He loved life, He loved his family with all his heart. He kept his fight with cancer private, saying he “was living with cancer, not dying with cancer”. He fought so hard these last four years to stay here but God had another plan. As I saw people filing in last night, and hearing that the line was out the door and up the road, and as we heard 128 was backed up at Winn Street, all I can think of is the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and Mike Crocker was our George Bailey, “The richest man in town”.