January 18, 1939 — June 4, 2026
Michael “Mike” McCarron, a resident of Wallaceburg, passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2026 at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, in Chatham, at the age of 87 years. Mike was born in Chatham and was a son of the late David and Mary (Murphy) McCarron.
Beloved husband of Irene (Bokor) McCarron.
Loving father of Stephanie, Mathew and David.
He will be sadly missed by his grandchildren Amelia, Antonietta, John, Natalie, Michael, Max, Anna, Emma, Bree, Charlotte and Michael.
Kind brother of Myles and Jean (McLaren) McCarron with their children, Jennifer and Janet, and their families.
Gentle Uncle to many generations of Bokor children.
Everyone knew Michael McCarron, but not everyone knew him by the same name. As a child, many close friends and family called him Mickey, several people who knew him at that time still do. Some people called him Mike, others Michael. No matter what you called him, he would always respond with a smile and sincere attention.
Michael McCarron loved five things.
Michel McCarron loved God. He often quoted one of his father’s expressions, “There is nothing new under the Son”. He was an alter boy as a child and his faith grew as he did. He was a life-long Knight of Columbus and attended Our Lady Help of Christians every week, but his love for God overflowed into his normal life. His joy in life was infectious. He showed compassion for everyone, and would help anyone who asked. He and Irene volunteered and donated to help anyone that needed them. They sponsored one of the “boat people” during the refugee crisis, and became friends with Somsy in the process.
Mike McCarron’s love of God was rivaled only by his love for his wife. He and Irene were married in 1960 and spent almost 2/3 of a century doing everything together. They lived together, worked together, and played together. They doted on their children and grandchildren and prioritized them ahead of themselves. Mike would not hesitate to drive 3.5 hours to watch a granddaughter’s dance recital and sometimes return home that same day. He once took several days off of work so that he could help his son build a garden exhibit at the CNE to help promote the Baldoon Bicentennial. Aside from his family, Mike grew up with dogs and almost always had one. Trixie, Whiskers, Mehgan, and Cassie were all parts of the family.
Michael McCarron was a passionate plumber. He left high school when he was 16 to help run McCarron Plumbing & Heating while his father was sick. He knew people throughout Wallaceburg and spent many nights and weekends away from the house helping people in crisis. He usually waived overtime charges for people when they called with a heating or water emergency even when he was awakened at 3 in the morning. He had an amazing memory and remembered most customer’s names, addresses, and phone numbers. He was active in the community and attended public meetings, raised money for downtown Christmas decorations, and even convinced Shafik Thomas to move Wellington to have parking on the north side of the street instead of the south side.
Mike McCarron acquired a taste for traveling from his dad. As a child, they would often travel north on weekends. His love of camping was solidified when he attended the 8th World Scout Jamboree in 1955. In his youth, he backpacked and canoed throughout Ontario, including survival camping where he would only bring basic necessities and build shelter from the wilderness. He continued to be involved with Scouts and volunteered as a leader into the 1990s. He and Irene drove from Wallaceburg to Vancouver, Halifax, and the Florida Keys, along with many places in between. He eventually travelled outside of North America to visit Irene’s family in Slovakia, and another time on pilgrimage to Rome and Medjugorje.
Finally, Michael McCarron was a gifted storyteller. He would regale friends, family, customers, and even random strangers with stories of his family, the past, or Wallaceburg in general. Like his mother before him, sometimes the details would change a bit, but they would always be worth listening to. Keep the stories told by him or about him close to your heart. The storyteller may no longer be with us, but we can keep the stories alive on his behalf. He lived a full life but it was always going to be too soon. Murphy’s Law always wins in the end, but he would be quick to remind us that his mother was a Murphy.
He is resting at the Eric F. Nicholls Funeral Home, 639 Elgin St. Wallaceburg. Family and friends are invited for visitation on Tuesday June 9, 2026, from 4-8pm. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 11am from Our Lady of Help Church.
Interment will take place in Riverview Cemetery, Wallaceburg. As an expression of sympathy donations to the Lung Association may be left at the funeral home.
