Michael McCabe

Mike McCabe, a long-time resident of Fontana and Bloomington, passed away on 9/30/23 at the age of 89. Mike was born on 9/3/34 in Niagara Falls, New York. Shortly afterwards his family moved to Havelock, Ontario, Canada where Mike grew up. As a boy he loved hunting, fishing, and participating in sports. He excelled at baseball and junior hockey, and later played on semi-pro hockey teams in Canada. As a young man, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served before and during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in Long Beach, and later made his way to the Inland Empire. A life-long learner, he earned an AA from Valley College while working and raising a family. He worked for Alpha Beta and Stater Bros., retiring after 33 years in the grocery business. A man who liked to keep busy, he also was a real estate broker and notary republic and owned Fifth Avenue Realty in Fontana. The day before his death, he was at his office, a testament to his incredible work ethic and his dedication to his business. Some may know how he loved playing the banjo and doing his daily crossword puzzles to keep his mind sharp. At the age of 88 he bought himself a Mac computer and Ipad and soon became proficient in using them, despite having always been a PC user before, a fact his less-tech savvy children found amazing. One of his life’s greatest achievements recently was celebrating 40 years of sobriety.
An avid reader, Mike especially appreciated mystery books and read several each week. He loved watching sports and rooting for the local teams, especially the L.A. Kings, the Angels and the Clippers. He first fell in love with birds while admiring the loons on the near-by lakes in his childhood Canada, and took great pleasure in watching birds his entire life. He recently was excited by his new hummingbird feeders and delighted in watching the antics of these beautiful and feisty little birds. A dog lover, he was especially fond of Yorkshire Terriers, and enjoyed the company of several in his lifetime. He also relished traveling, taking trips to Ontario, Canada to show the beauty of his childhood home to his family. A favorite destination was in Idaho to his visit his second daughter Marianne and fish their scenic waterways.
He is survived by his daughters Maureen McCabe, Marianne Blansett, and Michele Mitchell, along with his cherished son-in law Chris Mitchell, his beloved granddaughter Maegan Blansett and his dear long-time significant other. He was predeceased by his wife Lillian McCabe, his parents Betty and Howard McCabe, and his younger brother Bill.
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