Michael Blair French

Michael Blair French was born in Portland, Oregon to Adrian and Shirley French and
grew up in both Portland, Oregon and Anchorage, Alaska. Following high school, he
enlisted in the Navy as an aviation electronics technician with service in Vietnam aboard
the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ranger. Upon leaving the Navy, Mike graduated from Oregon
State University with a degree in Economics and a minor in math. He had two children
from his first marriage. He married Peggy in 1978 and lived in Grants Pass for many
years until deciding to return to school for his PhD. Mike was passionate about education
and was a lifelong learner. Mike and Peggy eventually settled in Honolulu and started
their own manufacturing representative company, PEFCO, while living aboard their
sailboat, the Nui Loa. After Hawaii, they moved to Incline Village, and then Beatty,
Nevada. His love for animals was without bounds as cats Grizwald and Bosco, dog
Harold, and goats Chevy and Nibbles are but a few names of four-legged characters who
constantly kept him on his toes. Mike and Peggy recently returned to Grants Pass to be
closer to their children. Mike is survived by his wife Peggy, his daughter Kelly, his son
Richard Michael, his step-daughter Jodi Hall and his step-son Jason Marthaller.