Obituary of Michael A. Gilroy

Michael A. Gilroy Michael A. Gilroy, age 80, of East Springfield, PA passed away peacefully on Friday, January 29, 2021 surrounded by his family. Michael was born in New York City on May 3, 1940, son of the late Grace Elizabeth and Gerald Michael Gilroy. Michael grew up in Norwalk, CT and graduated from St. Luke’s School, in New Cannon, CT in 1960. He went on to earn a business degree from Nichols College in Dudley, MA in 1964. Following college, he served as a medic in the United States Army from 1965-1971. Michael built a long and successful publishing career with Bradbury, Sayles, O’Neill, and then Herff Jones, where he spent 34 years publishing high school and college yearbooks throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Michael was an accomplished drummer and aficionado of Jazz music. He formed the Mike Gilroy Quartet in 1958 and performed across New England. His passion for music led to lifelong friendships, a vast collection of music, and adventures around the world. His zeal for music was contagious, and it was not uncommon for Michael to exalt the virtuosity of a jazzy riff or improvised solo with an exuberant “YEAH!” Michael surrounded himself in a wonderfully eclectic aesthetic of shamrocks, frogs, wind chimes, lead soldiers, clocks, artwork, and a multitude of different lighting options that could be adjusted to make every moment special – especially the holidays. But he found his greatest peace around nature and by the water – overlooking Tohickon Creek, Bucks Country, PA, Wellfleet Harbor, Cape Cod, MA, and Lake Erie, East Springfield, PA. No matter where he called home, he held a deep appreciation of the local flora and fauna (except for the pesky squirrels that upset his birdfeeders). He had an impressive green thumb and could often be found with a pair of pruning shears in hand, a wheelbarrow full of plants and flowers, and a relentless desire to make his surroundings beautiful. Michael is survived and loved by his wife Debra Thaler Gilroy; his children Kathryn (Rick) Gillespie of Draper, UT, Michael (Chelsy) Gilroy of Yarmouth, ME, Elizabeth Gilroy of Steamboat Springs, CO, Jennifer (David) Schmauk of Glenside, PA and Patrick (Tara) Dunion of Douglassville, PA, and his nine grandchildren. Services will be conducted at a future date at the convenience of the family by the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Michael’s honor to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, 13770 Noel Road, Suite 801889, Dallas, TX 75380.