Mike & Phyllis Strain

Children:
-Denise Vaughn (32)
-Angela Kennedy (28)
-Christopher Strain (Deceased)
-Bridgette Thornton (23)
-Elena Strain (20)

Grandchildren:
-Alyssa (12)
-Halie (9)
-Reanna (8)
-Corey (2)
-Ethan (2)
-Audrey Noelle (3 months)
-Ethan (2)
-Audrey (Due Aug 08)

Home Parish: St Matthew Church, Spotsylvania, VA
I was born on 26 November 1954 in Memphis, TN, to Patrick Reese and Mary Luigs Strain. On my second birthday, 26 November 1956, my brother Tim was born. My brother Danny came along on my Mother’s birthday, 31 January, 1958, and on 23 August, 1959, my sister Kathy was born. As 1960 came, my family consisted of my parents, me, two brothers, and a sister.
We lived in Memphis until the summer of 1963 when we moved to Orange, TX because of a job opportunity for my dad. Three years later, my parents decided to move back to Memphis. In Memphis I attended St Michael’s school for grades 1-3, Holy Rosary School for grades 7-8, and Memphis Catholic High School for grades 9-12. I attended St Mary’s school in Orange, TX for grades 4-6.

After graduating from high school, I attended Christian Brothers College for a year as an engineering student. After my freshman year, I was no longer interested in going to college, and instead turned towards joining the military. I signed the enlistment papers for the Marine Corps on 5 October 1973, and left for boot camp on 4 February 1974.

I graduated from boot camp on 3 May 1974, and returned to Memphis to attend military training at a Navy installation just north of Memphis to learn to fix jet aircraft. During my stay in Memphis for training, I met Phyllis, and 10 days after our first date, I asked her to marry me. She said yes, and four months later (4 April 1975), we were married at Christ the King Catholic Church in Southaven, MS.

About 18 months after our wedding, I left home to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, VA receiving a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on 29 April 1977. I continued to advance in the Marine Corps over the years, serving in a wide variety of assignments until I retired in September 2000 with 26 ½ years of service. I now work as a Department of the Navy civilian as a Program Manager at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, VA.

Phyllis and I have five children, born over a period of 12 years. Denise was born during our first year of marriage. Angela was born in 1979 while I was in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her birth was the only birth I missed.

Christopher, our only son, was born in May of 1982. Bridgette was born in January 1985, and our youngest, Elena, was born in February 1988. In June of 1989, our son Christopher was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. For 14 years, we were called to care for our son, watch him slowly deteriorate. But his spirit and mind were alive. The light of Christ shown in his eyes and in everything he did. His death on 7 May 2003 shook all of us, even though we knew this would happen. At the same time, though, we also knew that God had called Chris home. In his book, The Applause of Heaven, Max Lucado describes a scene where a loved one arrives at Heaven’s gates, and there is a crowd waiting for him/her. They begin to applaud and step back, greeting the newcomer and at the same time, drawing him/her further into Heaven. As the crowd unfolds, there is Christ, standing there with open arms and a smile, welcoming another brother/sister home. That is how we saw Chris. He gently accepted what God laid before him, saw the best in all of us, never complained, and new that God would take care of him. I learned a great deal from living with my son, and I thank God each day for the time Chris spent with us on earth.
God has blessed us with five great children, six super grandchildren, and they continue to brighten our life, and keep us young, at least at heart.

Throughout our married life, we’ve served in a variety of roles within the Church. We’ve been part of Catholic Engaged Encounter for the last 25 years, presenting weekends to engaged couples, working to share with them the wonders and trials of the vocation of marriage and the Sacrament of Matrimony. We’ve served as high school CCD teachers for about 10 years, performed prison ministry for a couple of years, and worked as coordinators for a city-wide ecumenical homeless shelter program. In Alabama, I was the only male allowed to visit, or even know the location of a shelter for abused spouses and children. I was the handyman for the shelter.

I’ve served on Parish Councils, been a Parish Council President as well as treasurer, did the detail accounting work for a parish in Kansas, participated as a sponsor in the RCIA program, participated in Cursillo, as well as serving in the Knights of Columbus. I’ve also served as a Lector/Reader, and as an Extraordinary Minister of Communion in many of the parishes we have been a part of over the last 33 years.