Eugene Michael "Mike" Der Manuel
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B - January 17, 2021
Eugene
“Mike” Michael
Der Manuel
June 23, 1942 - November 9, 2020
Mike was born in Erie, PA, to
Eugene and Helen Der Manuel.
The family moved to Buffalo,
New York when Mike was
young and he enjoyed playing
football and baseball through
high school, graduating in 1960
from Kenmore East.
Upon hearing from friends about Mesa Junior College in Grand
Junction, CO, and the National Junior College Baseball Tournament
held each spring there, Mike and a friend arrived in Grand Junction
in January, 1962 and enrolled at Mesa. Mike played Maverick
Baseball under Coach Bus Bergman 1962-63 and in the JUCO
Tournament 62-63. He was named to the All Tournament Team in
63. He played in the 1963 season with the Grand Junction Eagles
under Sam Suplizio.
Mike met Nancy Kirkpatrick at Mesa and they were married in
Grand Junction in December, 1963.
Mike received a baseball scholarship to the University of Kansas.
He played as a Jayhawk 1964-65 under Coach Floyd Temple, third
base. Graduating in June, 1966 with a degree in Education he was
hired to teach junior high in Pico Rivera, CA. Mike taught history
and coached football there from 1966 until 1967. Daughter, Lisa
Michelle, was born in March 1967.
Having completed his private pilots license in 1967, Mike decided
he loved flying and enlisted into the US Navy, applying for flight
school, December, 1967. He graduated O.C.S., Pensacola in 1968
and began flight training, moving to jets, and obtaining his Navy
wings at Kingsville, TX, summer of 1969 with orders to US Naval
Air Station, Miramar, CA. With the call sign “SLUF” Mike flew
A4, A7, F4, F8 and F14’s. He made several combat cruises with
West Pac on several aircraft carriers from 69-79. He also attended
Top Gun School at NAS Miramar.
Mike joined the Western Airlines Family in April, 1979 but
stayed in the Naval Reserves and retired as CMDR with 23 years
service. He flew for Western Airlines, and later, Delta Airlines
out of LAX, SLC, CIN, flying domestic and international routes
on 737,727, MD80, MD11,757, retiring off the 767 at 60 years old.
Upon retirement, in 2005 Mike and Nancy moved to the Pebble
Creek Community in Goodyear, AZ.
Mike enjoyed golf with the Birdie Chasers, Rattlers, PC Men’s
Golf League and Sunday Friends. He participated in church
functions, and was the emcee for the Colorado parties. Spending
summers in Colorado at his family ranch he worked continuously
and hosted many friends visiting from PC and GJ. After 15 years in
Arizona, Mike and Nancy moved back home to Grand Junction in
April, 2020. In October Mike contracted Covid-19 and pneumonia
and passed on to his eternal home on November 9, 2020. He is
survived by Nanc