Obituary for Michael A. Christopher
Michael A. Christopher, age 96, formerly of Willowick and Collinwood, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2014 at Mayfair Village Retirement Center in Columbus, where he happily lived for the past seven years. Mike was a proud Veteran of the Army Air Corps, in which he served for 39 months in the Pacific Theatre as an airplane mechanic during WWII. He retired in 1981 from Marquette Metal Division of Curtiss Wright Corp. in Cleveland. Mike had a love of and talent for gardening and landscaping, and in his younger years enjoyed golfing. He was always kind, loving and positive thinking. He was blessed with a long, healthy and happy life and was true to his Catholic faith. Mike was the son of Italian immigrants Joseph and Carmella (Piano) Christopher (Cristofaro), and is pre-deceased by his wife of 53 years, Yolanda DiCorpo and infant son Wayne Michael. He will be deeply missed, but his memories cherished by his daughters, Bonnie Christopher (Jeffrey) Bates of Upper Arlington, and Diane Christopher (Ronald) Rarey of Lewis Center; grandchildren Heather Colbary, Aryn Bates, Michael Bates, Lindsey Rarey; great-grandchildren J.T. Mitchell and Margaret Colbary, and many loving nieces and nephews. Mike''s family wishes to express its appreciation to several of the staff members of Mayfair Village whom he was especially fond of, and the Gentiva Hospice staff who so lovingly cared for him the last few days of his life. Funeral Services will be at 12:00 noon Saturday, April 5th at the funeral home where the family will receive friends 10:30 am until time of service. Interment Western Reserve Memorial Gardens Chesterland, Ohio.