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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
MUIRHEAD, Michael James - That little dash above here between the dates was SOME dash! Michael's life dash was full of ocean experience: North Sea oil rigs, deep ocean mining, an arctic search for the Franklin ships, searching for sunken Spanish galleons in Cuba, living underwater in a Hydro Lab …
Michael James Anderson was proud to be a fourth generation Muirhead in Victoria. The history of James Muirhead and his company, Muirhead and Mann, is described in Victoria's History Museum: Wentworth Villa. The Muirhead family home at 223 Robert St. is a designated heritage site.
On entering the University of Victoria, Michael joined the University Naval Training Division (UNTD) of the Canadian Armed Forces, which trained officers. As a Lieutenant Commander, Michael remained with UNTD until 1980. Over the years, UNTD gave him the ocean experience he wanted. A highlight was in the 70s, when the Navy sent him from Halifax to transit the Northwest Passage, on a search expedition for the Franklin ships sunk in 1845. As a navy diver, Michael recovered Franklin artifacts on the arctic floor of Erebus Bay.
After completing a B.Sc. in Math and Physics at the University of Victoria in 1964, Michael moved east to Quebec and Alberta. In Montreal for Expo 67, he took up classical guitar, which he further studied in Banff and Mt. Orford. He became excellent.
A few years later, Michael decided to pursue a professional ocean-going life; he completed a B.Sc. in Ocean Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. On graduation from FAU, Michael was sponsored by USN/NOAA, in the "Scientist-In-the-Sea Program". One of his most memorable experiences was living underwater in the Hydro-lab Habitat, offshore Grand Bahamas. Employed by SEDCO, a Texas based offshore drilling company, Michael operated as a subsea engineer. He spent 1975-76 in Scotland, on semi-submersible North Sea drilling rigs. In 1977-78 he was systems engineer in the first deep-ocean mining expedition, south of Hawaii.
In 1979-80, Michael moved to San Diego, California, as Operations Manager for Horton Maritime Explorations Ltd. Then, in 1980-84, he was with Petro Canada, Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, as Subsea Supervisor.
In 1974, Michael married Janet Hamilton (Victoria, BC). In 1982, in Calgary, their son, James Hamilton, was born. In 1984, Michael and Janet returned to Victoria, where their second son, Robert Cameron was born.
On his return to Victoria, Michael set up his own company: Western Subsea Technology Limited, a marine hi-tech company specializing in electronic charting and subsea surveying. Among the many ventures of WST, in 1995, WST located and raised a yacht that had been scuppered in the deepest water between Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean. In 1999 and 2000, WST made two expeditions to Cuba, to search for sunken Spanish galleons, and for the USS Maine. AND … in 2003, WST searched Lake Okanagan for Ogopogo!
Back home on Vancouver Island, Michael enjoyed skiing every winter at Mt. Washington with his two sons. Michael and Janet divorced in 1991.
In 2001, Michael married Mary Douthwaite and gained two stepsons: Graham and Alex Haro. All four sons were about the same age; the blended family had much fun.
After both having travelled extensively in their first half of life, Michael and Mary settled into a quiet second half. They enjoyed years of dinners and celebrations at home with all four sons. Michael took up ballroom dance and Argentine Tango. Mary and Michael travelled together to: China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, UK, Newfoundland, Alaska, Florida, Caribbean, Spain, California, Hawaii, Toronto, and around BC.
In 2015, after 30 successful busy years with Western Subsea Technology Ltd, Michael retired and regretfully closed his company. Michael next wrote a short book "My Journals Over the Years", summarizing some of the highlights of his life.
In 2020, Michael was diagnosed with lymphoma, which was beaten back twice with chemotherapy. In 2023, Michael was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, from which there is no recovery.
For the wonderful extended care that Michael received in his final six months, Michael's wife, Mary, is very grateful to the staff of both Trillium Hart House and Veterans Memorial Lodge.
After his passing, Michael's oldest friend (since grade 5), Frank, said, "He was always absolutely solid, dependable." Exactly.
Michael leaves behind Mary, his fours sons, 2.5 step-grandsons, and 3.4 grandsons.
Godspeed with our love, Michael James, to the realms beyond us here until we all join you there.
Michael's ashes will be interred in Ross Bay Cemetery, in the Muirhead family plot of his great-grandfather (on the first curve of the path from the main entrance.) (The Victoria Times Colonist 24 Jan 2026)
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