Richard Cushing “Mike” Myers
May 25, 1932 – September 20, 2023
Richard Cushing “Mike” Myers born May 25, 1932 in St. Joseph, MI, and died September 20, 2023, at age 91 in Bellingham.
Mike was born into a military family, moved often and attended many schools. One location was near Pearl Harbor at the time Japan attacked. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954 and was assigned Ensign aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet. He then attended submarine school in New London, CT after which he was assigned as Lieutenant aboard the submarine, USS Pomodon. While on assignment in San Diego, Mike met and married Phyllis Ann Genson in 1959. They had three children. He continued serving on subs until 1968 and was then stationed in Vallejo, CA. He later transferred to Bremerton, WA and served his last year at Sandpoint Naval Air Station in Seattle. He retired in 1974 as a Lieutenant Commander.
After the Navy, Mike worked as a flight instructor before joining Boeing-Everett as a design engineer. He later met and married Carol Huff Flagg in 1990, “the light of his life,” who predeceased him in 2017. He always talked about her. Avid boaters, they lived on houseboats in Lake Union until moving to Semiahmoo in 1994 where they continued sailing their beloved “MiCa.”
Mike enjoyed being active in community affairs serving both as a council member for six years and as mayor of Blaine in 2008. He enjoyed people too and was active in various clubs at Semiahmoo. Volunteering was a civic duty to Mike.
He was a Renaissance man: Soccer player, coach, and referee, skier, marksman, hobbyist for model trains, planes, and ships. Art collector. Have camera, will travel photographer. A voracious reader of history and novels. Octoberfest enthusiast.
He had a wicked sense of humor, could recite poetry from memory, and often declared at dinner, “That was the best meal I ever had!” This was a philosophy for Mike as was his practice of handing out compliments to everyone. He often spoke German when meeting people for the surprise and the smiles it generated.
Mike is survived by a son Eric Myers; daughter Charlotte Myers; daughter Kristen Myers and Kristen’s two children, son James, father to great-grandchildren Wesley and Georgia, and son Rory Deen. Mike is also survived by Carol’s children including Kathryn Lee; Terri Ann Varner and her children Jack and Hope; Karri Lee Forde (deceased) and her children Jonathan and Stuart; Forrest A. Huff and his children Andie and Grant.
His brother Robert Myers and his children Jean, Tom and Jim also survive him. Like their father Horace Myers, Robert was also a Naval Academy graduate.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, December 2, at Christ the King church, 4895 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Blaine, at 2 p.m.
