Michael Christopher Standish, of West Roxbury, formerly of Jamaica Plain, East Cambridge, Marblehead, Weston, and Francestown, NH passed away on August 24, 2014. He was 68 years old. Known for his tremendous wit, dry humor, and intellect, Michael could think and talk intelligently about nearly any subject. A profound, gifted thinker, he was recently described by some of his doctors as a “Renaissance Man”.
He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on Oct 2, 1945, Michael moved to Boston with his family as a one-year old. Growing up in Weston and Marblehead, he was an outstanding ice hockey and tennis player, and he also enjoyed playing stand-up bass. After graduating from Proctor Academy, he attended McGill University in Montreal & then Boston University (studying Philosophy, with a special interest in Wittgenstein). He attended Chef School in Lausanne, Switzerland and travelled and worked in Ireland, Spain and France. Later after returning to Boston, he joined the critically acclaimed avant-garde jazz band The Mark Harvey Group, playing percussion and is featured on their album released in 1972. Around that time Michael became actively involved in a vocational program in Boston teaching ex-convicts how to silk-screen print. In addition to living in various parts of Boston (Watertown, a loft Downtown, East Cambridge, etc) and Francestown, NH, Michael also spent extensive time in Vancouver, BC Canada and later San Francisco taking on a variety of work including fine carpentry, frame construction, general construction and pile driving. In 1992 he settled back in Boston (Jamaica Plain and later West Roxbury) and became a finish carpenter and cabinet maker. He evolved from carpentry into writing, and wrote regularly for Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding magazines.
Michael always maintained a gigantic appetite for reading, appreciated great music, loved good food, and was an outstanding cook. He loved spending time with family and friends and watching baseball. He was an avid follower of the Red Sox and a devotee of Sabermetrics, the statistical analysis of baseball. He always felt Warren Spahn was underappreciated (“you can look up his stats” he’d often say) and once said of manager Earl Weaver, "Earl was probably as intelligent (genuinely smart) as anybody who ever lived. Then I saw his ‘Everything changes everything’, quote, which completely erased any doubt.”
Michael liked the subtle side of life, preferring the unusual and different, rather than the obvious and pedestrian. He had a critics eye, ear, and palate, with impeccable taste. He would seek the more interesting or lessor known book, program, film, piece of art, music or even athlete. Always honest, he had a kind heart, yet had a low tolerance for B.S. Michael always like to tell it like it is, in his own dignified way.
Michael was the devoted companion of 22 years of Virginia A. “Ginny” Macy of West Roxbury, and brother of John Thomas “Jace” Standish and his wife Sheila of Langley, British Columbia, Canada and Peter Bowman Standish and his wife Melissa of Pacific Palisades, California. He is also survived by his nephews, Matthew (North Vancouver, BC), Nicholas (Langley, BC), Reid (Washington, DC), Jack (Pacific Palisades, CA) and Wyatt (Pacific Palisades, CA), as well as many longtime, dear friends. Michael was pre-deceased by his father Dr. Christopher (Chris) Thomas Standish (1963) and mother, Mary Carolyn (Pat/ Patsy) Standish (1993). Michael will be deeply missed, but never forgotten by all who had the pleasure to know him. We love you Michael and you will be forever in our hearts.
A memorial service will be held later this year.
In lieu of any flowers the family has asked a donation be made to the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, c/o Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave. – Room D1240, Boston, MA 02215. In the memo note: Dr. Michael Rabin’s Research.