Michael Durham

Michael Edward Durham, aged 76, passed away on Tuesday, July 7,2026, at VCU Critical Care Hospital in Richmond, VA following a brief illness.

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1949, Mike was the son of Jeanne Barney Durham and Joseph Durham. At a young age, his family relocated to Long Island, New York, first to Wantagh before moving to Massapequa.

Mike graduated from Massapequa High School in 1968 and continued his education at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, earning his degree in 1972. He began his professional life as a ship broker in Manhattan, working for several years before joining the family printing business. In 1971, he met Catherine Schuler, whom he married in August 1976. Together, they moved into a fixer-upper duplex on a canal in Massapequa and were blessed with two children.

Seeking a less hectic life for his children and tired of the daily commute on the Long Island Railroad, Mike moved his family to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1989, settling in Exmore. He enjoyed boating, crabbing, and fishing, and shared this passion with his children, Christina and Andrew.

Mike was an honest, hardworking, optimist. As a lifelong salesman, he loved engaging with anyone he would meet and often remarked that bringing a smile to someone's face brought him happiness. He was deeply concerned about hunger in his community and spent several years transporting canned foods and bread from distributors in New York and Salisbury to the Eastern Shore. In retirement, he volunteered briefly with Lighthouse Ministries and Habitat for Humanity. For many years he also volunteered at the Seventh Day Adventist Wednesday Free Lunch program.

Mike was a dedicated parishioner at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Onley and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Mike is survived by his wife, Catherine; his daughter, Christina (Justin); his son, Andrew (Bethany); his sisters, Marianne Miller (Bruce) and Jeanne Sikorski (Richard); his brother, Sean Durham; his nieces, Grace Durham and Madison Sikorski; and his nephews, Reed Durham, Alex Miller, Gabriel Miller, Braden Miller and their families. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph Durham and Jeanne Durham.

A Christian Mass will be held Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at 11:00AM, at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church with Father Michael Imperial officiating. Inurnment will follow in Belle Haven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Peter the Apostle Catholic Church Social Ministry, P.O. Box 860, Onley, VA 23418 or Seventh Day Adventist Church Soup Kitchen Program, P.O. Box 643, Exmore, VA 23350.

Arrangements were made by Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore, Virginia.