Mike left this world on Monday, June 17, 2024, at his home in Sandy Springs, GA surrounded by his family. A memorial service will be held at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church on July 27th at 10am followed by a reception in the parish hall. Mike is survived by Linda his wife of 59 years; his daughter Jennifer Fennell and her husband Brett; his son Brad Shortal and his wife Jill: his four grandchildren Griffin Westbrook, Bryce Fennell, Catherine Shortal and Alexis Shortal; and his brother Denny Shortal.

Mike was born in St. Louis, MO and raised on his father’s farm south of Wright City, MO. He was the fourth of five children and grew up in a farmhouse which lacked plumbing, central heating, and air conditioning. He graduated from Wright City High School in a class of seventeen. Lacking the funds to enter college after high school, he worked for a factory and saved enough money to start his first year at the University of Missouri and enrolled in Navy ROTC. He was an active member of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. He graduated from Missouri with a degree in Electrical Engineering and a commission as an Ensign in the US Navy.

His first assignment in the Navy was on a Destroyer home ported in Mayport, Florida where he qualified for Officer of the Deck in Fleet Operations during a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. After the tour he attended the US Navy Postgraduate School in Monterrey, CA where he earned a Master of Science degree in Electric Engineering. In graduate school he met his future wife, Linda Margaret Elias and they were married in the Carmel Mission Basilica church in 1965. Mike often said that marrying Linda made him the most fortunate man alive.

Mike was then stationed with Linda in Hawaii where Mike was assigned to another Destroyer as Chief Engineer. He served in the Vietnam war as a shipboard advisor onboard a Vietnamese Navy Patrol Gun Boat. He later became Engineering and material Advisor to the Vietnamese Navy Fleet. Later in his career he reported to the Naval Sea Systems command in Washington, DC as the founding Ship System Engineer for the Aegis Striker Cruiser. Mike was the founding Technical Director for the Arleigh Burket (DDG-51) Class destroyers which today remains the primary class of surface combatants in the U.S. Navy. He retired as a Captain in the Navy in 1981.

He worked in the private sector after the Navy for Kastle systems in Arlington, VA before retiring from Kastle in 2006. He lived in McLean, VA with his wife and children. He was highly active in his community and sang in the Cathedral Choral Society at the National Cathedral for thirty years and served on as the President of the Board. Mike was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2011. At that time, he and Linda decided to move to Sandy Springs, GA to be near their children, grandchildren, Mike’s brother Denny and his wife Meredy. There he spent his last years enjoying being with his family.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests a contribution to Holy Innocents Episcopal church of Sandy Springs, GA.

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