Obituary for Michael Douglas Hurley
On January 23, 2021, an incredibly bright, genuinely kind, and truly warm soul left our lives.
Michael Douglas Hurley, aged 73, was born December 5, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio. He was the son of Lyman Hurley, an accountant, and Louise Coyer, a school teacher. When Mike left home for college, he ventured to Athens, Ohio, attending Ohio University where he studied chemistry and received a B.S. degree. From there, he moved on to Iowa State University to focus his studies on physical chemistry and received his Master’s Degree. It was during his time in Athens, where he met his future wife, Mary Jane Caponite. With Ohio University’s campus closed due to the Kent State riots, Mike used the opportunity to ask Mary out, leading to a relationship that lasted into a 47-year marriage.
After their wedding, Mike and Mary moved to Michigan, where Mike had accepted a job offer with Ford Motor Company as a Research Scientist. Settling in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mike and Mary had two sons, Joshua and Isaac, and a daughter, Jessica. Mike enjoyed a 36-year career at Ford, becoming a published, award-winning scientist.
Apart from his work and his family, Mike was a dog-lover, enjoyed researching ancient samurai culture, and was particularly interested in chronicles of Americana, including the history of baseball and Appalachian culture.
If you find yourself struggling with the loss of Mike, as a scientist, he may encourage you to
consider these certainties:
- As humans, our matter and psychological processes – thoughts, emotions, beliefs – are composed of energy.
- Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another.
- Energy remains constant.
Knowing this, rest assured that Mike will remain with us, always, in one form or another.
Michael Douglas Hurley, aged 73, was born December 5, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio. He was the son of Lyman Hurley, an accountant, and Louise Coyer, a school teacher. When Mike left home for college, he ventured to Athens, Ohio, attending Ohio University where he studied chemistry and received a B.S. degree. From there, he moved on to Iowa State University to focus his studies on physical chemistry and received his Master’s Degree. It was during his time in Athens, where he met his future wife, Mary Jane Caponite. With Ohio University’s campus closed due to the Kent State riots, Mike used the opportunity to ask Mary out, leading to a relationship that lasted into a 47-year marriage.
After their wedding, Mike and Mary moved to Michigan, where Mike had accepted a job offer with Ford Motor Company as a Research Scientist. Settling in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mike and Mary had two sons, Joshua and Isaac, and a daughter, Jessica. Mike enjoyed a 36-year career at Ford, becoming a published, award-winning scientist.
Apart from his work and his family, Mike was a dog-lover, enjoyed researching ancient samurai culture, and was particularly interested in chronicles of Americana, including the history of baseball and Appalachian culture.
If you find yourself struggling with the loss of Mike, as a scientist, he may encourage you to
consider these certainties:
- As humans, our matter and psychological processes – thoughts, emotions, beliefs – are composed of energy.
- Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another.
- Energy remains constant.
Knowing this, rest assured that Mike will remain with us, always, in one form or another.