1962 – 2003

RUMFORD – Michael Paul Milligan, 41, of 27 South Rumford Road, confronted his final challenge Friday, June 6, surrounded by his loving wife, daughter and family. He joined his father in heaven.

He was born May 24, 1962, in Rumford, the son of Loring and Barbara O’Kane Milligan. He was a communicant of St. Athanasius St. John Parish where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He graduated from Rumford High School in the Class of 1980, attended Colby College and graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington. An all-around athlete, he excelled in sports and went on to play football at Colby. He was also a proud Lambda Chi brother.

He was a most kind-hearted and generous man. He was once asked about his illness and how he deal with it. His response was “If my illness could save only one child from this experience I would do it all over again.” He made the comment at Dana Farber Hospital after seeing an afflicted child.

He and his wife, Sherry, were given the American Cancer Society “Award for Courage” at the 2001 Relay for Life walk. At the 2003 Relay for Life, held one week ago, more than 300 luminaries attended in his honor. Late Friday night, friends lined his driveway with luminaries since he could not attend the event. A 15-member team led by his daughter, Erin, walked in the 24-hour relay. The team was appropriately named Michael’s Angels.

His dad and brothers founded Carrabassett Spring Water Company, and he was vice president of sales and marketing for the firm. A day would not go by without him bringing Carrabassett to several people’s attention. “Are you thirsty?” was his introduction and his ever present smile was his trademark. He loved the “Three Stooges,” football, camp and his dog, but most importantly he loved his family. On Sept. 26, 1987, he married the former Sherry N. Dupuis in Rumford.

Besides his wife of 15 years, surviving family members include a daughter, Erin, and his mother Barbara Milligan, all of Rumford; two sisters, Mary Colongeli and her husband James of Franconia, N.H., and Barbara Tuthill and her husband Bill of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two brothers and their wives, Jim and Debbie of Gorham and T. Martin and Patricia of Westport, Conn.; his in-laws, Dick and Doreen Dupuis of Rumford; his sisters-in-laws Kathy and Mark Humphreys of Scarborough and Shelly and Paul Ouellette of Turner; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.