MURTAGH, Michael Owen, CAPT, USCG (ret), age 83, of Traverse City, MI departed on October 27th, 2023. Survivors include sons, Sean and Mark, daughter, Karen, their families along with many nephews and nieces and a brother-in-law, Ralph Raymond. He was preceded in death by his dear sister, Judith Raymond of Trenton, MI. Originally from Gibraltar, MI, Mike attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he graduated in 1962 with an undergraduate degree in Management and a commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard. He subsequently served for 31 years, retiring as a Captain in 1993. His remarkable career included commanding four Coast Guard Cutters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Great Lake waters, serving as the Chief Budget Officer of the Coast Guard, receiving Master's degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School and National War College, and serving as the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area Chief of Staff. He earned the nickname "Mad Dog Murtagh" for his tenacity as the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Cutter DAUNTLESS, where his ship and crew achieved a record number of drug busts in the Caribbean during the early 1980s. Their accomplishments were highlighted in Time, U.S. News and World Report, and in nightly news programs and national newspapers. Mike was a lifelong fan of the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, and Detroit Red Wings, which he enjoyed watching, especially with friends Hugo and Chris. He will be remembered for his compassionate leadership as a Coast Guard senior officer, his witty Irish humor which he never lost, his liking for the sea and its lore and his strong yet caring demeanor to those he mentored and led.

Tributes to Mike can be made at https://www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com/obituaries/Michael-Murtagh/#!/TributeWall

A military funeral service will be scheduled for later in the year and announced separately. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association at https://www.cgaalumni.org/s/1043/21/home.aspx .

The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.