Michael Conrad Coffin (Mike)

Died at home of cancer on November 10, 2007

Born in Berlin, Maryland, December 3, 1939 to Eloise and William Coffin both deceased.

Education, Snow Hill High school, Salisbury College and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Mike worked in a bank in Chestertown as a young man just out of college. He later joined the state workforce in the offices of the Chesapeake Bay Affairs. His fascination with data processing from its infancy led to a lifetime interest in and around this field. Mike went to work for the Data Center at the State of Maryland, Comptroller's Office in the late sixties. He later accepted a senior management position for the Department of Legislative Services where he remained until he and his wife retired together in December of 2004.

Another area of fascination for Mike was healthcare and medicine. In his early years he volunteered with the first emergency medical response teams on the Eastern Shore.

Mike continued to volunteer his time and money to a variety of causes through out his life. As a recovering alcoholic Mike had a particular love for people touched by this disease. In 1979, Mike and his then future wife, Ellen, took training and served as volunteer Group leader/Counselors in the Aftercare program at Arlington Hospital, Arlington, Va., for patients completing a thirty day in-house alcoholism treatment program.. In 1983 they took their experiences as volunteers with Arlington Hospital and helped to establish and run the aftercare program for North Arundel Hospital. Mike continued with the program until the Hospital closed its in-patient treatment program ten years later. Mike knew that there were answers available for dealing with the disease of alcoholism and he was willing when asked, to share his knowledge of those solutions with anyone who was concerned for themselves, a friend, co-worker or family member.

Mike had a patient and curious mind and delved deeply into many hobbies, among them were astronomy, photography, electronics, fishing at the Outer Banks, and enjoyment of music of all kinds. He and his wife shared a particular love of classical and operatic music. In the early eighties Mike volunteered as a Sunday morning classical music disc jockey for a now defunct radio station at the Anne Arundel Community College.

He was an excellent nature photographer and loving family man who documented all family's gatherings with photographs.

As a recovering alcoholic Mike believed that the many, many gifts of his life had their source from his having found and maintained his sobriety for over 38 years. Although he was a rather introverted person by nature, Mike's favorite day was July 20th, the day of his sobriety anniversary when he celebrated this gift with friends and family by hosting his annual pool party.

Mike leaves behind his devoted wife of 28 years, Ellen R Coffin, three loving daughters, seven beloved grandchildren and numerous friends. His daughters are Gretchen C. Kohl of Kennedyville, MD and Ellen's children, Robin M. Lee of Wheeling WV and Wendi L. Davis of Arnold.

A celebration of Mike's life will be held on Saturday November 17, 2007 at the
Severna Park United Methodist Church at 12 noon. There will be a reception following the service.

Contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Chrysalis House, 1570 Crownsville Road, Crownsville, MD; Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741 or Kindness in Action, P.O. Box 6043, Annapolis, MD 21401-0043