Michael Joseph Garry was a husband, father, a driver, a craftsman, and an eternal kid at heart. He was “Mike” to those who knew him, “Boppa” to those who loved him, and to himself, “Mike the Spike.”

Mike was born on January 13th, 1930 on the Garry farm in Kildysart, County Clare, Ireland. As the eldest of three siblings — Paddy, Olive, and Joseph — he learned early in life what responsibility looked like. His childhood was shaped by the steady rhythm of the Shanahea farm. Those green fields, early-morning milk routes, and horse jumping competitions remained vivid memories that he shared & recounted for the remainder of his life.

In his early twenties he met the girl of his dreams - a Dublin city girl named Marie. Together they would journey across three countries and spend the next 75 years together.

Like many great Irish emigration tales, Mike and Marie went wherever opportunity seemed willing to answer the door. London came first and then Toronto where they arrived with optimism, uncertainty, and not a clue of what the winters entailed.

Mike always considered himself fortunate to have found steady work with the TTC in 1957 - streetcars at first and then buses. For 34 years, he prided himself on his exemplary record and the many friends he met along those routes.

Mike loved being a father to both Lisa and Michele. He was happily outnumbered by Marie and his girls.

After the birth of his first grandson named Michael in 2000, Mike was knighted with a new title – Boppa. Against his will, it stuck till the end and suited him better than any of his beloved Irish caps.

And while his personal army of grandchildren grew to five — Michael, Amanda, Ethan, Eric, and Ellie — the chant of “Boppa” could be heard far and wide. Running up the sand dunes or hanging off the trapeze of his boats, they kept him busy, kept him laughing, and, by all accounts, kept him young.

Retirement led Mike and Marie down the I-75 South to Florida for many winters where they enjoyed sun, sand, tennis, shuffleboard and euchre. Summers were spent in Picton where Mike sailed his beloved catamarans- he built three alone. Mike's sailing passion took him to Lake Simcoe, West Lake, and Cherry Beach Yacht club. Between southbound winters and wind-filled summers, Mike maintained a tan that suggested he was doing something right.

Well into his eighties, there was no sign of his tank nearing empty. Whether sailing, riding bikes, or playing tennis, he was never static — except, of course, when the cookie tin appeared.

Everyone would agree that Mike’s greatest trait, however, was his unwavering friendliness. Neighbours, strangers, and even the occasional passerby were all welcomed into his orbit, and were lucky to remain there.

At the age of 95, Mike passed away peacefully with his three main ladies by his side. He sets sail now to the Irish fields that shaped him, and that, through his stories, became part of every childhood he touched. May his life be proof that one doesn’t need much to leave a mark. A steady kindness, a pocket full of jokes, and some cookies will do just fine.

Friends may visit the Turner & Porter ‘Neweduk-Erin Mills’ Chapel, 1981 Dundas St. W., Mississauga (east of Erin Mills Pkwy), on Sunday, December 28, 2025 from 2 – 5 p.m., with remembrances shared at 4 p.m. For those who wish, donations may be made to Princess Margaret Hospital or Hospital for Sick Kids.