Obituary of Michael William McPherson

Michael William McPherson, 64, was born on February 10, 1958, to William and Ichiko McPherson at Madigan Army Hospital, Fort Lewis, Washington. Born to a military father, Mike went on to live in California, Alaska, Hawaii, and Japan. But he spent most of his life here, in El Paso County, where he graduated from Mitchell High School in 1976 in Colorado Springs.Always independent and self-supporting, he worked at several jobs after graduation, and soon took a job as a novice machinist for a local company. It became his lifelong career. For the last ten years, he worked as a master machinist for Advantage Manufacturing on Fillmore, where he was the "old school" guy - working both the manual and computer-controlled machines.For family Thanksgiving dinners, Mike could always be counted on to bring the pecan and pumpkin pies from one of his favorite places - Boonzaaijer's Bakery, across the street from work.Until back problems caused him to stop, his passionate pastime was bowling. He spent a lot of time with his League "family" at Harmony Bowl. He became a master bowler, and even achieved a 600 series. For several years family and friends knew he would be in Las Vegas for the annual National Bowling Tournament.Another favorite pastime was fishing, especially with his Dad. They would save a day every Memorial Day weekend to fish together at lakes on Pikes Peak. Mike always went home with all of the fish, which he then shared with friends at work. One of their "once in a lifetime" experiences was a week-long fishing trip together to Alaska. Mike treated his Dad to this great adventure. What a joy.Alaska held a special place in his heart as he loved the rugged outdoor life. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts while the family was stationed at Fort Wainwright. He hiked through the Alaskan wilderness and enjoyed canoeing down the Chena and Tanana rivers.Even though Mike broke her tricycle when she was three, and often stole her Halloween candy, he and his sister Marie grew close in the last few years. They especially bonded by cooking together for family meals, and through their love of their dogs. He was the very loved "dogfather" to Marie's dog Riley.A lasting memory for Marie and her husband Terry will be the three months that Mike worked with them in their leather business. He added to their working lives with his humor, intelligence, and strong work ethic.Mike passed away unexpectantly at his home on February 28, 2022. He was "my son, my son" to his father, William McPherson, Jr., of Hot Springs, South Dakota, who survives. He is also survived by his father's wife, Judith; his sisters, Marie (Terry) Hisle of Calhan, Colorado, and Stephanie (Scott) Dycus of Las Vegas, Nevada; his niece, Shannon (Jim) Bernosky; grand-nephew, Jimmy; and grand-niece, Ally of Las Vegas, Nevada.He was preceded in death by his mother, Ichiko McPherson; and paternal grandparents, William and Myrtle McPherson.Celebration of Life, 2:30PM, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, The Springs Funeral Services-North, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80923. Events Celebration of Life Wednesday, March 30, 2022 2:30PM The Springs Funeral Services - North 6575 Oakwood Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Phone: 719-207-8611