Paul Michael Loughlin

Paul Michael (Mike) Loughlin a dear, gentle husband, brother and friend flew to his next adventure on August 21, 2025.

Michael was born in San Diego to Paul Emmett and Anna Ruth Loughlin. He reveled in a childhood exploring the bucolic hills of 1950's San Diego.

Michael's heritage was 60% Irish with 40% English. His paternal grandfather and grandmother immigrated to Boston from Ireland and met each other there in 1903. A trip to Ireland with brother Joe, Lili and friend Ann initiated him in driving, left sided, the length of Ireland. After WWII as a Navy dependent in Kuri, Japan, he attended middle school and enjoyed a climb to Mt. Fuji. Returning to the states, high school was at Saint Augustine's in San Diego, where he pursued his passion for music, learning to play the saxophone. He participated in school concerts and joined a marching band hosted by a local music store. His interest in flying began to reveal itself, flying small recreational planes while attending college. He enrolled in ROTC and entered the Air Force as a second lieutenant upon college graduation in 1960 from Loyola University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Phi Kapa Theta.

While serving in the US Air Force he completed numerous training courses in flight school and navigation. The majority of his military career was spent as a B-52 navigator in the 39th Bombardment Wing SAC serving during the Vietnam War. In addition he instructed celestial navigation, in-flight missile programming aside his normal duties as a nuclear qualified crew member. He was certified in a number of small aircraft and as a glider pilot. On several occasions while at duty station, delighted in treating his mother and brothers to exciting plane rides sharing his awe of the freedom of the skies.

Upon his separation from the Air Force, Mike took graduate courses at Colorado State University in technical writing and illustration. He served as the first managing editor of CSU's, CSU Comments. Hewlett Packard offered Mike an opportunity to work with technical and engineering teams to produce field service manuals for digital mainframe storage devices. After a 20 year career he retired in 2005.

Michael and Lili recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary in June. Marveling at having found each other, they wed on the shores of Terry Lake, four years after their first meeting. Michael used his innate engineering skills within home ownership, assisting Grant, the contractor, in designing and building an enclosure wall and studio addition for Lili. For the backyard fountain, he selected the two large stones to be reminiscent of the Rockies, creating the waterfall. Holidays were brightened by Mike's outdoor luminaries placed to follow the enclosure wall. Together, Lili and Mike surrounded their home with a variety of evergreens and trees creating an oasis.

Mike used his writing skills to build websites for Terryshores Home Association Newsletter and website committees. He wrote for the Fort Collins Senior Center Expansion website, the No Pipe Dream website and gave computer workshops at the Fort Collins Senior Center.

Michael was an avid student of French taking part in French Meetup for many years honoring Lili's French heritage and enjoying multiple trips to France to visit family. California travels included the famed California 101 Highway and Palm Springs with the brothers. Other trips with Joe included Hawaii to swim with manta rays; Cabo San Jose to swim with whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez; Keywest to kayak and snorkel and visit the Tortugas National Park; road trips to Utah, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and exploring Colorado. He was up for skydiving with Lili even though he didn't see the reason for jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Whether ziplining over the Royal Gorge or zooming down the mountain coaster in Glenwood, he was always ready to try something new.

Mike was a compassionate older brother to Joe and Jim. The many long conversations and cherished quality time and sharing trips in later years proved there was a special bond between Loughlin brothers.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents Paul and Anna Loughlin. He is survived by his wife Lili, brothers Joe and Jim, and his French family Babette, Julie, Stephane and Eric and family in Belguim, Monique and Marc. He requested that his ashes be spread with his buddy "Jacques", his office companion and adoring cat.

Mike's wry sense of humor, twinkling blue eyes, calm and patient demeanor, sweet and thoughtful nature remains with all of us in our memories and hearts.

Lili: à table Michael
Michael: j'arrive

There is a Celebration of Life on September 27, 1:00 pm. Please RSVP to Margaret at msharkoffmadrid@earthlink.net for the address.