Deceased December 12, 2021
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In Memory
Michael Earles McGoldrick passed away on Dec. 12, 2021. He is survived by Maryann Terry Galpin-Plattner, his partner since 1999. Michael suffered a stroke seven years ago and, more recently, cancer.
From Seattle, Michael lived in Colorado for about 35 years, most recently in Evergreen, with forest, animals and trout stream around his house. He was a lifelong fly-fisherman, traveling the world in search of trout.
On the train from New York City to Amherst, Michael introduced me to the world of personal investing. As there weren’t any brokerage offices in Amherst, we traded at the local bank.
We were roommates freshman year. Although Michael left Amherst for Stanford after his sophomore year, he was a faithful donor to Amherst.
We were roommates again at Stanford when we were both Ph.D. candidates in economics. While writing his dissertation, Michael worked at Transamerica and taught economics at the University of Oregon. I believe that he never finished his dissertation because there wasn’t a hard deadline! He also taught and served as director of development at Lakeside, his prep school in Seattle, and at the American University in Bulgaria. Michael loved to teach. However, he was primarily a personal investor in the stock market, particularly attuned to market trends.
On a trip to Mexico, Michael adopted a kinkajou, a rain forest mammal related to raccoons, and wanted to bring it to Los Angeles. When the customs official told him it’s not allowed, Michael asked to see the statute. Since there was no statute specifically prohibiting the importation of kinkajous, the official had to allow it!
Michael loved education, the arts, human rights and the rule of law. He volunteered for these causes and donated to them.
—Ruslan Morris ’59