Michael Easterly

Michael Paul Easterly, jokester, connoisseur of chocolate-covered cherries, and expert at World of Tanks, 60, died peacefully at home Thursday, February 18, 2016 following a brief battle with cancer.

He leaves his wife and partner of 38 years, Diane (Entzian) Easterly; his son, Adam Easterly and his daughter-in-law, Jennifer Easterly; his daughter, Erin Easterly; his sisters, Judith Easterly and Susan Markland, and his brother, Steven Easterly; and one grandchild.

Born in Washington, D.C., the son of Herbert and Dorothy Easterly, he lived with his wife and children in New Carrollton, Maryland before becoming a resident of Walkersville, Maryland in 1999.

Mike was born the fifth of six children and the uncontested favorite of his grandmother (though, he was also known to proudly claim, "I'm so bright, my mother called me Son." Susan would refute this, but "she was adopted.")

Raised in the Catholic faith, Mike attended Archbishop John Carroll High School. Being a lifelong music lover, he chose the name Michael John Paul Easterly upon his confirmation (seeing as how the Gospels of Ringo and George are not yet officially recognized by the Church).

His passion for the Beatles followed him throughout his life and despite years of absurd debate, his daughter was never able to convince him that "I Am the Walrus" was NOT the first rap song (it was "Rappers Delight" by Sugarhill Gang, and everyone knows that).

In 1983, Mike married Diane "That Jane" Entzian at First Lutheran Church of Bowie and became the world's leading producer of horribly embarrassing dad jokes and sayings with the birth of their children, Adam and Erin in 1984 and 1987.

He loved camping trips and spending time with his family; his chiefest joy was torturing his wife and children by singing "Saturday in the Park" and "Under the Boardwalk" in an ear-piercing falsetto repeatedly for hours on end. Due to this, the family was forced to enact a No-Play List to prevent Mike from remembering how much he loved to drive them all nuts.

Mike was a lifelong employee of Gallaudet University until his retirement in 2012. He worked as lead finisher and prided himself on cutting in the crispest paint lines you ever saw without the help of painter's tape. Whether he could keep all of the little driblets of paint off Diane's clean floor was another story entirely.

His hobbies included noodling around on his guitars, playing music at unnecessarily high volume, breeding angel fish, eating sweets in multiples of two, telling the same old stories over and over, accusing Adam of "doing something to the internet," constantly fussing over the safety of Erin's car, sitting in front of a nice morning fire on the patio with his coffee, never letting anyone "live rent free in his mind,"and just generally being the funniest and most likable guy in the room.

Michael was a loving husband, a pain-in-the-butt brother, and an over-protective, but super proud and supportive dad. He will be dearly missed and daily remembered by his friends and family.

A memorial service in Michael's honor will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, February 22, 2016 at Stauffer Funeral Home in Frederick, MD.