Michael Earnest Major July 25, 1944 - February 14, 2023

Vallejo

Michael Earnest Major passed away in Vallejo on February 14, 2023 after a long stint in the hospital. Mike is survived by his wife, Cindy, his 3 daughters- Jennifer, Leslie and Katrina; his son, Anthony, 4 grandchildren, 2 brothers- David and William (Bill), 3 nieces, 3 nephews and numerous cousins.

Mike was born on July 25, 1944 in Harlingen, Texas where his parents lived for a short while after World War II. The growing family would live in Wyoming, Arizona, Novato and Concord, CA before settling in Napa in 1956. Mike attended Napa and Ridgeview Junior High Schools and graduated from Napa High School in 1962. In 1968, he enlisted in the US Air Force where he served in the Radar Squad, maintaining and repairing radar systems in the United States and Viet Nam. He reached the rank of sergeant before his honorable discharge in December 1971.

Mike and Cindy (Morris) married in 1974 and moved to Rohnert Park where Mike attended Sonoma State University on the GI Bill, graduating in 1977 with a degree in Economics. They moved back to Napa, where Mike took several photography classes at Napa Community College and discovered he loved the whole process of photography. He became a photojournalist stringer at the Napa Register, then the Vallejo Times Herald and eventually a position at the Fairfield Daily Republic. When digitized photos became the norm, Mike decided to leave photojournalism and began working at the Tesoro Refinery in Concord, retiring after 15 years.

Mike started attending the services at Community Presbyterian Church in Vallejo. He accepted Christ and joined the church in 2008. He enjoyed serving as deacon and running the church video electronics for service. He enjoyed talking with the WWII vets at the church and was always willing to minister to or visit various church members.

Mike's first love was motorcycles and he loved taking rides with his friends, Dave Beemer and Doug Rowser, his late brother Patrick and his late best friend Chip. He was riding up until his hospitalization this year.

Mike's memorial service will be held at Community Presbyterian Church, 2800 Georgia St., Vallejo on this Saturday, May 20th, at 11 AM with lunch following. He is interned at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery outside Dixon, CA.