Michael Anthony English 

It is with deep sadness and profound heartbreak that we announce the passing of our father, Michael Anthony English, of Gander, NL, age 91. A beloved father, father in-law, poppy, brother in-law, uncle, cousin and friend, he passed peacefully away at the James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander on June 12, 2026 after a brief battle with a dementia-related illness.

Predeceased by his loving wife of 51 years, Barbara English, his parents Philomena and James, sister Peggy (Pat, deceased), brother Gerald (Mae, deceased) and brother in-law Chris (Helen). Left to mourn with cherished and heartfelt memories are his four children, Michael (Tammy), Kelly-Ann (Colin), Craig (Tammy) and Kerena (Mike), along with nine beautiful grandchildren Riley (Jasmine), Connor (Carolyn), Kerena (Hannah), Colin (Melanie), William, Hannah, Michael, Megan and Michael, sister in-law Betty, brother in-law Brian (Gretchen, deceased), as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many friends.

Our father was such a simple, humble man who took great pride in his faith, his family and his friends, and was so often referred by them as “such a good man”. And what a good man he was. The most selfless, giving man you will ever meet, he always put others before himself. Never one to complain, or wallow in self pity – he was always dependable, generous, noble and saw the positives in life, even during his final days. Whenever someone asked him how he was doing, his response was always “top-shelf” or “finest kind” along with a smile, a thumbs up and a twinkle in his eye.

He had a special relationship with everyone he knew, especially his children. He looked forward to his week-day lunches shared with his son Michael, followed by the NTV news at noon (and perhaps a wee nap). His regular baseball and hockey chats with his daughter Kelly (he was a huge Blue Jays fan, looked forward to cheering on Team Canada at the annual World Junior Hockey Championships and was blessed to have seen the tournament in person only a few years ago). The special memories he created with his son Craig, salmon fishing on Branch River (his favourite pool was Earnest’s Knap). And his annual friendly competition with his daughter Kerena, as to who would see the first Robin appear in the spring.

In addition to this, the other true loves in dad’s beautiful life included his vegetable garden (his carrots, blue potatoes and turnip greens were a hot ticket item amongst the family), making homemade bread (again, a hot commodity), volunteering with the church, setting a few rabbit snares, doing crosswords and playing cards, especially a game of crib – often with a small sip of Screech and Pepsi.

Originally from Branch, St. Mary’s Bay, our father will forever be fondly remembered by those from the community as “Mikey” or “Skipper”. An avid salmon fisherman, he never forgot his roots, was immensely proud of where he came from, and returned home to Branch every year, twice a year, for his annual salmon fishing trip on Branch River and again in the fall, during moose hunting season. The memories he made from each and every one of those trips, along with those who accompanied him, were carved so deeply into his heart as were the many “Branch sayings” and “Branch stories” that he shared with all of us over the years.

The family extends our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the entire care team at James Paton Memorial Hospital.

Resting at Stacey’s Funeral Home, the family will graciously accept visitation on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 11:00 am at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Gander, NL. Interment will follow at All Saints Cemetery, after which all are invited to St. Joseph’s Parish Centre to celebrate our dad’s beautiful life.

Flowers gratefully accepted, or in lieu of flowers, donations in dad’s memory may be made to the Central Northeast Health Foundation (https://cnehf.nl.ca) or to the Town of Branch (townofbranch@bellaliant.com).

To sign our online memorial guestbook, please visit www.staceysfuneralhome.ca.