Michael Damien Speckman's Obituary
Michael Damien Speckman, 75, of Cornelius, passed away at his home on July 2, 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the third of nine children to Col. Peter Joseph Speckman (USMC) and Eleanor (Dugie) Reid Greatorex Speckman.
The Speckman family moved from Newport, RI to Annandale, VA, to Camp Lejeune, NC and then to Charlotte in early 1961, where they settled in Dilworth, joining the St. Patrick's Catholic Church community. Michael attended St. Patrick's, Charlotte Catholic High School and Myers Park High School, and joined the Marine Corps in 1966, following in his father's footsteps.
In the Marine Corps he trained as a diesel mechanic, a skill that he continued to use after he was discharged. Michael then went to work for Eastern Airlines at the Charlotte Douglas Airport in the mid 70's where he advanced to a ramp services supervisory position. He was transferred in 1983 to Miami International Airport and stayed on to help consolidate and shut down operations when the airline entered into bankruptcy. After Eastern closed he opened an airline painting business, which he ran until his retirement.
Around 2011, Michael moved back to the Charlotte area to be closer to his family. Here, he was able to see and enjoy his children, grandchildren, and family, until his body succumbed to the cancers that he has been fighting for the last two years.
Michael is survived by his children, Kelly B. Henninger (Robert) of Belmont, NC, M. Damien Speckman, Jr. (Wendy) of Cornelius, NC, Jeremy B. Speckman (Celeste) of West Palm Beach, FL, Nicholas A. Speckman of Cornelius, NC, Matthew C. Speckman of Maiden, NC; grandchildren, K. Maelyn and Rachel Henninger (Kelly), Brody and Cole Speckman (Damien), Lillana and Declan Speckman (Jeremy), Bryan and Collin Speckman (Matthew); his siblings, Eleanor Fagan of Charlotte, NC, Peter Speckman, Jr. (Diane) of Plano, TX, Mark Speckman (Janet) of Greensboro, NC, Denis Speckman of High Point, NC, Ann Przygocki (Walt) of Denver, NC, Jon Speckman (Nancy) of Charlotte, NC, Timothy Speckman of Charlotte, NC, Patrick Speckman (Susan) of Charlotte, NC. He is also survived by many loved nieces, nephews, and extended family members, too many to list individually.
Michael is preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law James Francis Fagan, Jr. Michael will be tremendously missed by his family and friends .
We hope his pain is gone and he's now feeling much better than his usual response of "fair to middling and partly cloudy"! We also feel certain that Michael is playing the very best game of "Tiddleywinks with Manhole Covers" that he has ever played, considering his present company (if you know Michael, you've probably heard him say these two things many times)!
We are very thankful for the family, friends, neighbors and caregivers who gave their time to assist with the care that Michael needed and received. It takes a village to care for those who are unable to care for themselves, whether it be children, elders, or the sick.
In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution to your local animal rescue.
A Memorial service with military honors will be held on Monday, August 8, 2022, at 10:00 AM, at Salisbury National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC.
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