Michael Joseph Gilbride, 81, passed into eternity after a long illness. Surrounded by his loving wife of 49 years, Catherine âCathyâ Cole Gilbride, and his adoring daughters, Karen and Megan, Mike drew his final breaths amid the sounds of their voices as his favorite Irish music played softly in the background.
Born December 4, 1939, in New York City to Irish immigrant parents, Mike, or Joe as he was called in his youth, grew up in a close-knit Irish Catholic community in Manhattan. As a boy he loved the New York Yankees, playing handball, and hanging out in the city with his older brother, John, cousin Frank, and friends from the neighborhood. He attended Ascension School for his primary education and the De La Salle Institute for high school.