Michael "Mike" Gilman was a cornerstone of 3rd Avenue and the surrounding areas. Hailing from Bangor, Maine, he'd made his way down to South Carolina after years of homelessness, settling down in the parking lot of the abandoned Food Lion on US-501. 

He'd make his rounds with his cane, walking his little strip of the beach with a pocket radio and a pack of Cheyenne-branded cigars to last him for a day.

Michael was incredibly bright and caring despite the hardships he had endured through his life, stopping to make friendly conversation and recall stories from his youth to folks who were willing to listen.

Michael had told a story once of how he had tried coconut for the first time as a young boy when his father had cracked it open with a vise in the basement of their family home, and he'd been amazed by the coconut cream and the tender white pulp.

He loved Dungeons and Dragons, Cheyenne Wild Cherry cigars with the filters torn out, Taaka, and talking for hours. If given the chance on a good day, he could talk about anything and everything.

His death was confirmed by the Horry County Coroner's Office on March 31st, 2025.

The author requests that those who knew and loved Michael perform a small act of hospitality towards an individual member of the homeless community in Myrtle Beach and read "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas.

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