Major Michael W. Hurley, US Army retired, of Bedford and formerly of Castleton, NY, died on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
He was born on May 13, 1943 in Brooklyn, NY and was the son of the late William G. and Ella T. (Nulty) Hurley.
Michael grew up in Island Park, NY and was a member of Island Park High School – Class of 1961.
In 1963, he enlisted in the United States Army and served honorably until his retirement in 1983. Michael was stationed in Germany for a period and served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. His last tour was 1967-1968.
He received many medals during his service including the Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Senior Aviation Badge and Air Assault Badge. Michael was a member, Vice President and then President in 1997 serving a one-year term, of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA)
Michael received his Bachelor of Arts (1970) from Park College, in Parkville, Missouri. He later earned his Master of Public Service (1979) from Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Michael continued on to receive his Master of Business Administration (1985) and his Doctor of Philosophy (1987) from Rensselaer Polytechnic University, in Troy, NY.
Following his retirement from the Army, he began a second career as a college professor, teaching Labor Relations, Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior at multiple colleges over the years, including the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY (1989-2015 upon retirement), Clarkson University (1988-1989), SUNY Albany (1987-1988), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an adjunct professor.
For 38 years, he lived with his wife and family in Castleton, NY, before moving to Bedford in 2021.
Michael had a strong passion for woodworking, especially making furniture. He was a member of the Northeast Woodworkers Association and the Civil Air Patrol in Albany, NY. He loved to travel, taking several trips to Ireland with family. His hobbies also included boating, hiking, skiing and running. He ran the NYC marathon in 1981. During summer vacations, Michael and Robyn traveled to the VHPA reunions, sharing camaraderie with old and new friends. Also during the summers, a “Hurley” family reunion was enjoyed at their home in Castleton, NY. He truly loved his family, who was everything to him, especially his three grandchildren.
Michael is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Robyn (Brecker) Hurley, his children, Sean Hurley of Cohoes, NY and Tara O’Loughlin and her husband Nathan of Bedford, his grandchildren Liam, Finn and Tate O’Loughlin and his siblings Kevin Hurley of Melbourne, FL and Patricia Feit of NH. He was predeceased by his sister, Joan Savage. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Rd., Bedford, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 24.
Michael’s funeral will be held from the funeral home at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, followed by a funeral Mass at St. Michael Church, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford, at 10 a.m. Interment to follow at Shawsheen Cemetery, Bedford.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Care Dimensions Hospice, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923, in Michael’s name.
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