Michael William Kilrain

Kilrain, Michael William Age 55, passed away Thursday, October 25, 2012. In Michaels& honor, Paddy (Trish) would like for you to spend a day with your family as a tribute to his life. Daniels Family Funeral Services4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124505-892-9920Obituary for Michael William Kilrain, written by his wife, Paddy (Trish) MaruskaSeveral weeks ago, a nurse offered me a fortune cookie from the clinic cookie jar. I took one, opened it, & read, â??You will have many friends when you need them.â?쳌 Indeed! Thank you all for helping me through this most difficult time. Michael William Kilrain was born on Long Island, New York, to Bill & Theresa Kilrain. His sisters Robin & Trisha, & his brother Thomas followed. His dad was a medic in the United States Air Force, so they lived in various parts of the world such as Germany & the Philippines, & stateside in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, & New Mexico. Bill retired from USAF in the early 1970s after serving three Tours of Duty in Vietnam, doing Air Evacuation of our wounded troops; they settled in Albuquerque, NM. Mike graduated from Eldorado High School in 1976, worked on transmissions for several years, then joined the New Mexico Air National Guard in 1980. Mike was an Honor Graduate at Chanute Technical Training Center. Mike served our country for twenty-seven years as a crew chief on the flight line of the 150th Fighter Wing, working on A-7s & F-16s until his retirement in 2007. He earned many awards, including Superior Performance Award 1993-2003, Aircraft Maintainer of the Year 1991, Outstanding NCO of the Year 1995, Senior NCO of the Quarter October-December 2000, & Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year 2001. While Mike worked for Uncle Sam full-time, he also attended evening college classes full-time, often taking two & three courses each nine-week semester. Mike loved football; but when he needed to study, do research, or compose a paper, he turned off the Sunday NFL games. Mike maintained a 3.5 GPA while earning an Associate in Applied Science Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics, & Master of Aeronautical Science. Mike was not a â??cowpieâ?쳌 kind of guy. He held himself to a high standard, & he expected much the same from others. Upon retiring from NMANG as Senior Master Sergeant, Mike attended CNM full-time, maintaining a 3.9 GPA. He earned an Airframe & Powerplant Certificate, then earned an Airframe & Powerplant License from the Federal Aviation Administration after thorough, rigorous testing.Mike & I were together twenty-five years, twenty-three of them as husband & wife. He enjoyed learning, especially history; watching NFL football; listening to most types of music; walking our dogs; lifting weights; yard work; & making our house a home. I want to thank everyone associated with the Veteransâ?? Administrationâ??s Continuous Infusion Clinic & Palliative Team, from start to finish & in-between: from Gloria the scheduler, through the volunteers, technicians, pharmacists, social workers, nurses, physicians, & Rich, the Oncology CNP. Hopefully, none of you veterans will ever need this exemplary group of professionals. But if you do, rest assured that they have your â??six oâ??clock,â?쳌 they will run point for you. I am also thankful to VistaCare Hospice team. It is difficult at best to go into an end-of-life/terminal situation, get set up, & assist the dying client & their family. Death: We all do it, but it remains so personal, so intimate. And to the Daniels Family Funeral Services, especially George Sanders, thank you for your compassion & expertise.My husband was agnostic most of his adult life until three or four years ago, when he became an avowed atheist. To Mike, birth was the very beginning, & death was the absolute end. He did not believe in an afterlife or spirit world. But I do believe. And, I dare say that, once Mike drew his last breath in & gently exhaled, his dad Bill, his stepdad George, his grand-mom Elsie, & countless others were all there to welcome himâ?¦to the realm of spirit. Each time one veteran is honored, all veterans are honored. Mikeâ??s cremains will be buried with full military honors in Santa Fe National Cemetary, following a remembrance ceremony of his life. Mike & his sister Robin continued the military career tradition of their dad, Bill. They will all be honored, as well as Mikeâ??s grand-dad, Francis, a World War I-era, â??doughboy,â?쳌 & all others who have served our great country in myriad ways throughout our almost two & one-half centuries. One final thoughtâ?¦to paraphrase novelist Thornton Wilder:â??The greatest tribute we can give to our loved ones who have predeceased us is not grief, but gratitude.â?쳌Thank you, Michael William Kilrain.