Michael McCall (19 Mar 1947 - 1 Mar 2020)

In loving memory of Michael McCall, who sadly passed away on 1st March 2020 - beloved Husband, Dad, Granddad and Great Granddad, who left us way too early.

Born in Lincoln on 19 March 1947 to Agnes and Albert McCall, Michael was the youngest of four siblings. Arriving in this world with medical complications, when his oldest and beloved brother John was already in the British Royal Army, Michael didn't have the easiest start in life. In fact, his parents didn't even give him a middle name, because it was thought at the time that he might not survive. In and out of hospital and doctors offices, he missed a lot of school, and left with no qualifications.

Fascinated by steam trains and aeroplanes, Michael dreamed of joining the Royal Air Force - something his school teachers told him would never be an option for him. But they didn't reckon with his determination and tenacity to go after his dream. Michael was a fighter, and eventually did manage to get into the RAF, passing out in September 1964. Starting at the bottom, he swept the floor, made the coffees and teas, and eventually graduated to the ‘smash & crash’ crew - picking up pieces of metal and body parts, after a plane went down. Years later, he still cried at the memories of the tiny bodies he helped to dig out of the rubble following the Aberfan disaster of October 1966 in Wales, when the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip engulfed a local junior school.

Michael never lost sight of his dream, and became an RAF aircraft mechanic - a rigger. In 1967, during an RAF recruitment drive in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he met the love of his life, the then Irene Taylor. And somehow, his chat up line, 'do you want to come and see my aircraft', worked. Six months later they were married, and in 1969 Angela was born, followed by Kathryn in 1972. Throughout his life, he worshipped Irene, and on 25th March 2020, they would have been married 52yrs.

During his 23 years of service in the RAF, Michael worked on Phantoms, Vulcans, Tornados and Lightnings (just to name a few), before eventually moving on to his beloved Battle of Britain flight and the Red Arrows. But something that most people don't know, is that he also had one of the highest security ratings you can get in the RAF, and was often tasked with transporting top secret documents around the country.

After he left the Airforce, he got a job working on the Bulldog and Chipmunk trainer aircraft at RAF Newton for the East Midlands University Air Squadron. Often, he would chat with the students there who were away from home for the first time, and sometimes struggling with the choices they had to make. And when finally he moved on from RAF Newton, he took a job with Translinc, transporting vulnerable children and adults to school and daycare facilities. Years after, he’d hear some of them yell a greeting to him in the middle of the supermarket - ‘hello Grandad’! They all loved him.

Michael McCall was a humble man who worked tirelessly to build the best possible life for his family, always putting everyone else first. He was a perfectly imperfect human being - a role model to us all in how to be an amazing Husband, Dad, Granddad, Great Granddad and all-round decent, kind and loving human being.

He is our hero, and we all miss him terribly.

Michael is survived by his wife Irene, daughters Angela and Kathryn, granddaughters Kirsty, Bethany and Jessica, grandson Michael and great granddaughter Olivia and her new little brother, who's due to arrive in the summer.

Per ardua ad astra ~ through adversity to the stars