Michael Edward Struntz's Obituary
Michael Edward Struntz died July 14, 2025, from lung cancer. He was kind hearted, fun-loving, and loved by many.
He described himself as happy-go-lucky. He had a knack for “don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” He enjoyed the simple things in life and subscribed to the philosophy that laughter is the best medicine.
He loved his wife and dogs and enjoyed golf, Bama football, and boating (dubbed Captain Sandbar by his father-in-law).
He was a child at heart and was fondly known as the Pied Piper, because of his ability to lead kids in all kinds of shenanigans to their great delight. He saw through the eyes of a child and treated children as equals. He was an enthusiastic storyteller and invented games to play with them.
Mike loved to devise elaborate pranks since early childhood. His mother wrote “most mischievous, Grade 4” on the back of a photo. He used his sneaky, silly, and quick-witted ways with cunning, perseverance, and humor to pull off a prank – like the time he made a fake cast so his wife and sister would take pity on him and pick his crabs at A-1 Crabs in Essex. He removed it in the men’s room and returned to the table, where he removed his bare arm from the sling, crying out, "I've been healed!", and his wife and sister knew they’d been had.
Born January 6, 1955, in Frostburg MD as Joe and Gracie’s sixth of 10 children, he is survived by siblings Susie Yates, Karen Gravenstine (Charlie), Janey Martin (Steve), Nancy Bowling (Tom), Maureen Winer (Fred), Christine Golczynski (Joe), and Brian Struntz (Melora); Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Roberta; and 25 nieces and nephews. His brothers Joseph Struntz III (Diana) and Stephen Struntz preceded him in death.
Michael graduated from Bishop Walsh High School in 1973 where he played football, ran track, and sang in the school chorus. He was presented the Rapplier Award for Outstanding Student Athlete. A teammate posted that Mike played hard on the football field but was just as friendly as could be off the field; anyone who knew him liked him.
He met his wife of almost 48 years, Cathy Blackburn, while both worked at the college Dining Services to pay their way through the University of Maryland, College Park. They married in 1977 and moved as they changed jobs. Mike worked in LTL trucking as a dock supervisor in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, then for Loomis in Birmingham as Manager of Cash Management Services. He retired in 2017.
Michael was a hard worker, driven and as energetic as the Energizer Bunny. Mike was a builder from an early age, as were many of his Austrian ancestors; he loved any carpentry project and built several decks, and made countless improvements to his home and yard.
He helped build local homes with Habitat for Humanity as one of the dedicated “Grey Tigers.” He was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2020.
Michael was a devoted member of Church of the Resurrection. He often applied his handyman skills, such as designing and building decks, ramps, and the rose trellis. He sang bass in the choir, and sometimes was the entire bass section.
Michael and Cathy parented five teenagers (one at a time over several years) – three foreign exchange students: Seiko Sasaki (Japan), Ignacio Pombo Aldecoa, and Diana Bautista Ruiz (Spain); neighbor, Kelli Hoffstetter; and nephew, Matt Bowling.
A Celebration of Life for Michael Struntz will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19, 2025, with interment in the Garden and a reception to follow in the Parish Hall at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 113 Brown Avenue, Rainbow City, AL.
Memorial donations may be made to the church (https://www.facebook.com/EChurchResurrection/), or to Gadsden-Etowah Habitat for Humanity.
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