MICHAEL R. MCCLANNAHAN Nov. 7, 2020
Michael R. McClannahan peacefully died surrounded by his family on Nov. 7, 2020. He was 82. He had been in failing health over the past several months. In the end his strong heart finally gave out but not without a fight.
Although christened Michael at birth, he was Mike to everyone. Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1938, Mike spent the first years of his life with a lung ailment that made breathing difficult. In a flatbed Ford converted into a camp trailer, Mike’s parents hit the road searching for a climate that would help the small boy heal. They ended up in Eunice, NM, where Mike thrived. He was a track and field champion and held several state records in the hurdles that stood for years.
After high school, Mike attended college at New Mexico Tech and Eastern New Mexico University. After stops in Dallas and Farmington, Mike started work as a technician at the Nevada Test Site where he worked on a rocket engine that was supposed to take men to Mars.
After Nevada, Mike moved his family to Los Alamos, NM where he worked at the lab. By the late 1970s, he was tired of working for the government and decided to become an electrical and plumbing contractor. He spent he rest of his life saying he would rather work 14 hours a day for himself than eight hours a day for someone else.
Mike retired to Edgewood, NM with his wife, Carla, in 2003 where they became regulars and friends with the crew at Chili Hills.
Although he lived in Edgewood, Mike took frequent motorcycle rides in the Jemez Mountains with just about anyone who was willing to go. He enjoyed nothing more than sitting by the stream in Virgin Canyon, sipping coffee or a beer and rolling a cigarette. He had found his heaven on earth with those rides throughout those mountains.
Mike is survived by his wife, Carla; sons, Shawn and wife Kim, Kerry and wife Wanda, and Rory. He also leaves behind five grandchildren, Jennifer, Jamie, Lori, Connor and Beckett. The family would like to express gratitude to the folks at Chili Hills, especially Maria, who always made him feel special.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
