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In memory of

Kevin Michael "Mick" Wons

Fallston, MD, USA

1953 - January 31, 2021

1953 - Jan 31, 2021

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Kevin Michael “Mick” Wons was born to Eleanor (Burns) and Peter Wons in 1953 in Brighton, Massachusetts. The second of five children, he attended Boston Latin School for his early education. Mick’s parents instilled in him the importance of education from a young age.

The Wons family moved to Dedham in 1965. Mick fondly recalled a childhood of playing outside with kids from “The Manor” neighborhood and spending carefree summers with his family and local friends in North Windham, Maine, swimming in Collins Pond.

Mick had an easy way of connecting with all people, fitting in just as well with the nerds as he did with the jocks. He was an avid basketball player and fan. He closely followed his beloved Boston Celtics and recalled Santa bringing him a new basketball nearly every Christmas. Mick’s love of basketball continued throughout his life. He was on Dedham High School’s varsity team where he was coached by Jim Calhoun, who later went on to lead the team at basketball powerhouse UConn. One of his favorite times of year was March Madness. Through his first and only call in to a radio station, he was the lucky 61st caller and won two tickets to the 2001 Final Four, which to him was like winning the lottery.

Mick was fortunate to meet the love of his life, Karen Bothne, at Dedham High School. He got up the nerve to talk to her by asking what the deal was with the bumblebee keychain hanging from her purse. Karen, a sophomore, recounts telling her friend about the “cute junior” who sat beside her in study hall. His infectious smile immediately attracted her. Mick took Karen out on their first date, to the Ice Capades, 51 years ago on January 3, 1970.

He excelled academically in high school and served as President of the National Honor Society for the class of 1971. Mick attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he studied marine engineering and traveled the world on merchant ships. He and Karen stayed connected through writing countless letters. After graduating in 1975, Mick moved to Egypt to work on an oil drilling rig for six months. As Mick and Karen increasingly talked about marriage, Mick accepted a position in a management training program at Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore, Maryland. The program prepared him for his long career managing large shipbuilding and ship repair projects.

Mick and Karen married in 1977 at St. Susanna’s Church in Dedham. After a honeymoon in St. Croix, they returned to Maryland to settle into their first apartment and often enjoyed welcoming visitors from Massachusetts.

Professionally, Mick was highly respected for his expertise, down-to-earth nature and his fair management style. He discovered his true vocation, however, when he became a father. Mick and Karen welcomed their daughters, Lauren in 1982 and Meghan in 1985.

Mick was the epitome of a loving husband and father. As a new “girl dad,” one of Mick’s sons-in-law asked him what he did to raise such strong, confident daughters. His reply was simply, “Just show up.”

Mick showed up for his family in all the ways that mattered – in the big and small moments. He always hustled home from work to be there for family dinners. His daughters remember their delight at being chased by a “hungry crocodile” around the house. He coached his girls’ rec basketball teams and helped with math homework every night. He was on the sideline for virtually every soccer game, swim meet and cross-country match, although Mick joked that cross-country meet spectating involved watching kids disappear into the woods and then reappear twenty minutes later. He taught his girls to always try their best and encouraged independence by saying, “It’s a great big world out there; don’t be afraid of it.”

A true salt of the earth kind of guy, Mick never drove a fancy car or worried whether his clothes were cool. He drove a little blue truck without air conditioning for many years. He delighted his daughters and their friends with rides around the neighborhood in his truck bed. A good part of his wardrobe was from Costco; the rest may have been from the Notre Dame bookstore.

After a twenty-year career at Bethlehem Steel, Mick went on to work as a port engineer for several different companies, managing large-scale ship repair projects. While he worked mostly out of the Port of Baltimore, his work also brought him to various locations around the United States and the world. No matter where he traveled, Mick’s Boston accent followed.

Mick worked hard for many years, sacrificing personal luxuries to invest in something he told his girls could never be taken away from them, their education. Mick and Karen sent their daughters to Notre Dame Preparatory School and then to the University of Notre Dame. Mick was proud to have two “Domers” in the family and became an enthusiastic Irish football and basketball fan.

Mick always relished the simple things in life - morning cups of coffee with Karen, Sunday brunch after church, playing cribbage and reading a book on the beach.

As empty-nesters, Karen and Mick enjoyed spending time with dear friends, hosting casual dinners and traveling to new destinations. In recent years, their favorite trips were to Denver, Colorado and Madison, Wisconsin to spend time with their daughters and their families.

Mick got promoted from father to Papa in 2017 with the birth of his first grandson, Eli. Mick lovingly welcomed two granddaughters, Annie and Kate, in 2019. It was one of his family’s greatest joys to see him as a grandfather. Mick loved children and he was never too busy to get down on the floor to build tall towers, let them “climb Papa mountain” or play silly games.

Mick is survived by his wife Karen; daughters Lauren Bradley and Meghan Franklin; sons-in-law Ryan Bradley and Michael Franklin; grandchildren Eli Franklin, Annie Franklin and Kate Bradley; sister Susan of Dedham, MA; brother Peter and wife Jean of Dover, NH; brother Bob and wife Patty of Stratham, NH; sisters-in-law Nancy and Janet Bothne of Albuquerque, NM; and nine nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and sister Kathleen Wons Dies.

Mick’s one piece of advice for all of us would echo the words of Mother Teresa, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

Mick’s family will plan a celebration of his life for later this year when it’s safer to gather.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mick’s honor to Santa Claus Anonymous, a Baltimore- based nonprofit Mick long supported that works to give every child a joyous Christmas.

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