Michael Errico

Michael Errico, 77, of Beaufort, passed away Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

His memorial service will be held Thursday, July 13, at 2 p.m. at St. Egberts Catholic Church, officiated by Father Thomas Davis. A celebration of his life will take place afterwards at his home in Merrimon.

Michael is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Brenda Whitaker Errico and by his 3 children, Keith Errico of Pawleys Island, SC and his wife Stacy, Shea Errico West of Gainesville, GA and her husband Steve, and Christy Errico Abrams of Atlanta, GA and her husband Brian. Michael
was adored by his (soon-to-be) 7 grandchildren; Ashley Savage of Sugar Hill, GA and her husband Patrick, Hunter West of Gainesville, GA, Blake Errico and Harrison Errico of Pawleys Island, SC, Eban Abrams, Asher Abrams and Ella Abrams (Due in September!), of Atlanta, GA, as well as 2 great-grandchildren; Lily Savage and Camden Savage of Sugar Hill, GA. He will be greatly missed by his large and loving extended family who live everywhere from North Carolina to New Jersey, and countless friends he has made over his life through his dedication to his family, the Power Squadron, and the VFW.

He was preceded in death by his dear parents, and is now reunited with Michael J. Errico and Mary R. Errico.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Beaufort VFW, Post 2401; which he served with dedication for many years.

Michael was was born on July 25, 1939 in the Bronx, NY. His father, Michael Sr., worked for the NYC Postal Service and his mother, Mary, was a dressmaker on 5th Avenue. The family later moved across the bridge to New Jersey, where he was raised alongside many cousins in a large Italian family. In high school, he was a star wrestler and in October 2010 was inducted into the Fair Lawn High School Wrestling Hall of Fame. He then attended Pennsylvania Military College where he was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. Upon graduation, he enlisted in active duty in the US Army, joining the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, NC. Over the course of his military career, Michael would log over 100 jumps.

While he was stationed in Fort Bragg, he met a beautiful girl named Brenda at a party (in front of the chip bowl!) who was a student at Highsmith-Rainey School of Nursing. They began dating and Brenda quickly fell in love with his goodness and his charm. She had truly found her prince! Michael was equally smitten, and the two were engaged on Valentines Day shortly before he had to ship off to Vietnam. After a long year apart, writing letters and sending care packages back and forth across the world, the two married at Fort Bragg Chapel on May 29, 1965, and their love story officially began.

The couple then transferred to Fort Campbell, KY, where Mike became a Captain of the 101st Airborne Division. It was here that they welcomed their son Keith. After 2 years, the family transferred to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, IN, where they welcomed their daughter Shea. Shortly thereafter, Mike made the decision to leave the service and take a job with IBM where he would go on to work for 30 years in sales and marketing. It was an exciting time in history with the evolution of the mainframe computer, and the young family was able to return to North Carolina where they decided to plant their roots. It was here, while living in the Greensboro area, that they welcomed their daughter Christy. Making homes in High Point, Jamestown and finally in Raleigh with his Carolina-born-and-bred wife, North Carolina became Mike’s adopted home state and the place he’d live for the majority of his life. He even let a “y’all” slip now and then.

While in Raleigh, Mike and his youngest daughter, Christy, joined the Indian Princess program through the YMCA in the mid-80’s and attended several Father-Daughter camp weekends at Camp Seagull on the coast. During these camping trips, he discovered the coastal area of the Neuse River Basin where it meets the Pamlico Sound and fell in love with the area. He soon found a remote spot outside of Beaufort called Merrimon, NC, where he bought some land, and he Brenda began their dream of building a cottage on the water. They worked for years on the property spending weekends and vacations pouring their hearts into the project. The home started small; but over the course of more then 30 years, it grew to become their dream home and a place where their family would gather and enjoy for years to come.

Mike was a talented, creative woodworker and built countless things over the years. From puzzles, rocking horses and tree houses for the kids to cabinetry, furniture and practically the whole coastal cottage inside and out — there was nothing he couldn’t build or figure out how to make himself. The family is blessed to have so many beautiful pieces that he created over the years.

He also loved boating and was an avid sailor. Over the years, Mike had several different catamarans including a Hobie Cat that he loved to “get up on one” and a 32 foot PDQ he named “Wavin’ Bye Bye”. Almost every family member can tell you a story or two about taking part in his sailing adventures and have all kinds of memories from being out on the water with him. Sailing seemed to be where Mike was truly most content, and the joyful look on his face when he caught some great wind will be remembered by many. He truly loved all things about the Crystal Coast and lived out his dream of living on the water full-time with Brenda after his retirement from IBM in 1998.

In retirement he continued pursuing his passions, becoming a member of the United States Power Squadron and taking several boating courses. He trained to perform vessel safety checks and became a first lieutenant for his many hours of service. Mike enjoyed attending the squadron meetings and being involved with the local boating community. He fully embraced coastal living in retirement and enjoyed crabbing, raising oysters, and working on his property (named Camp Dolphin by his family for the dolphins they often saw swimming in front of the house—and for the many people often camped out in the living room)! He loved doing projects large and small and exploring all aspects of the marine life he was surrounded by.

Mike also became very involved with the local veteran community, serving as the Post Commander of the Beaufort VFW from 2005-2006. He volunteered his time to the post working their Friday night steak and shrimp dinners and bingo nights as well representing the post in Memorial Day ceremonies, parades and various fundraising efforts over the years, including manning the shrimp basket booth at several Morehead City Seafood Festivals. To Brenda’s disbelief, he became pretty good at the fry station! He was a proud patriot, and it was quite fitting that God called him on one of his favorite holidays, the 4th of July. His family had a yearly tradition celebrating on July 4th and were almost always together playing the “Camp Dolphin Games” that Mike would reinvent each year—from the local Merrimon 4th of July parade and shuffleboard tournaments to water balloon tosses and kayak races—it was a day that Mike, his family and his friends looked forward to each year. He will surely be remembered with love and affection at every firework display for years to come.

Above all, Mike loved spending time with his family. From holiday celebrations and family vacations to sitting on the dock at his beautiful home and enjoying the sunset, he was happiest surrounded by his loved ones; and the close bond that the Errico family shares is apparent to everyone who knows and loves them. Just over 2 years ago, he and Brenda celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends. He loved his wife tremendously and the love story that they share is beautiful and inspiring to all who know them.

Mike was a romantic at heart and a great dancer, and his wife and daughters loved dancing with him to anything from old Italian standards to Carolina Beach Music. He would often break out in song and accompany any tune (he especially loved anything from the Kingston Trio) either on his ukulele or his bongos. Family sing-a-longs were common, and his children and grandchildren loved picking up an instrument alongside of him and belting out classics such as “Froggy Went a Courtin'" and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad" among so many others. From holiday bonfires and telling ghost stories on the beach to sunset cruises on the water, the memories made on the land on and around their family home will be treasured forever and passed on for generations to come. Strong in his Catholic faith, he firmly rooted his family in God, faith and love. His love and dedication to his family was truly his greatest accomplishment and created a bond that will carry throughout their lives forever.