Frank Michael “Mike” McCormack died on November 23, 2023, at the age of 72, after living many years with congestive heart failure. A native and lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa, he was born on October 14, 1951, the firstborn son of Frank and Mary Sue McCormack, who both preceded him in death.

Mike was also preceded in death by his wife of 41 years, Ann Ward McCormack, and his brother Dr. Ron McCormack.

He is survived by his wife of nine years Dianne Donahue McCormack; his son and daughter-in-law Frank Michael Jr. and Jennifer McCormack; his grandchildren Ana, Julian and Eóin McCormack; his brother and sister-in-law Dan and Karen McCormack; his sister-in-law Nancy McCormack; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who were like family to him.

For his whole life, Mike was a provider, hard worker, adventurer, outdoorsman, loyal friend and family man. He loved to talk about his childhood paper route, getting into mischief with cherry bombs and M-80s, shooting flies with his BB gun, and riding bikes with friends around Alberta City.

Mike loved music. He was saved and baptized at Alberta Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. He was first chair French horn in the band at Tuscaloosa High School and was a member of the class of 1969. He later played in the Million Dollar Band while he was a student at the University of Alabama. He loved Jimi Hendrix and could whistle every guitar solo from memory.

He left Alberta Baptist Church around age 20 to lead music at nearby Eastern Hills Baptist Church. The pianist there was Ann Ward, who was a little younger than him. Soon, the pair weren’t just planning music for Sunday worship—they were planning a wedding, which took place at Eastern Hills on December 29, 1972. After the wedding, Ann and Mike embarked on their honeymoon in his baby blue Volkswagen Beetle.

Like his father, Mike spent his entire working life at BF Goodrich, eventually serving as a senior shift foreman. He always enjoyed explaining the process of making tires, but what he loved more was telling stories about his friends from Goodrich, where they got their nicknames, and pranks they would play on each other. “If I’m lying I’m dying,” he’d say.

Throughout those years, Mike became a legend on the Black Warrior River, where he spent many days and nights tight-lining, camping and jug fishing. His favorite camping spot was on the left descending bank above Old Lock 9. His fishing jugs, with which he caught innumerable catfish, were easily recognizable: fluorescent orange (painted on the inside) with reflective tape and “MIKE” written in Sharpie on the side. He was also an avid hunter, and he helped control the squirrel and chipmunk population around his house in Claymont throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

Mike and Ann welcomed their first and only child in late 1981, and they raised him as part of Forest Lake Baptist Church, where Ann served as pianist and Mike sang in the choir. Together, Mike and Ann were very active in the church’s bus ministry, picking up kids from the surrounding neighborhoods and bringing them to church. From then on, holidays and special occasions at the McCormack home often included diverse dishes and multiple languages spoken.

After Ann passed away in January 2014, Mike’s cousin Randy and his wife Janice introduced him to Dianne Donahue, a friend who, similar to Mike, had lost her husband suddenly a few years prior. The two were fast friends and got married on September 6, 2014, in a small ceremony officiated by his son. Early in their marriage, Mike and Dianne enjoyed traveling, including Mike’s only trip outside the United States, a cruise to Puerto Rico. They each sold their houses and moved to the “country” to a home with a pond, pool and wide open spaces, perfect for their grandchildren. Later in their years together, despite Mike’s health issues, he continued to thrive and bless his family and friends with his presence, thanks to his quiet determination and Dianne’s Christlike love and care.

The day preceding his death was spent surrounded by his beloved wife, his son and daughter-in-law, his grandchildren, his brother and sister-in-law, his friend Ervin Hoggle, and his hospice nurses.

A memorial will be held Saturday, December 2, at Taylorville Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa. Visitation will be at 9 a.m., with the memorial service at 10 a.m.

https://www.tuscaloosamemorial.com/obituary/frank-michael-mike-mccormac