Edward "Tuba Man" McMichael

When Edward "Tuba Man" McMichael walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Tuba Man was and how he impacted those around him. He was a witty and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Tuba Man wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Tuba Man was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

The son of Stanley and Pauline McMichael, he was raised in Seattle, Washington. As their youngest son, Ed’s parents always looked after him with loving care. Always at the ready with a good joke, and at times mischief, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Ed might describe him as eccentric, his friends and family understood well that Ed was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Ed was raised with two siblings. He had an older brother Kelsey, and an older sister Joyce. Ed was born when Kelsey and Joyce were in High school, so Ed was always treated as their loving younger brother. When Kelsey and Joyce left home to pursue their careers, Ed would always look forward to their visits and talked about them often with pride.

As a young boy, Ed was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Ed had a quiet intelligence that many people did not realize at first. However, it would come out when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Ed took part in baseball he especially enjoyed swinging the bat. Even when there were no balls, he would use small pebbles. He liked to play the piano and music was his love as well as cats. Even at a young age, he would play the piano for hours and listen to symphonies. Ed had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Ed responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated King’s Schools in 1973. His Parents were not always pleased with his grades, but he always got the highest grades in Music For Ed, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. His favorite classes in high school revolved around music. During this period, he found his true love, the Tuba. Due to his previous music training on the piano, he soon became a talented Tubist. He was later accepted into the prestigious Seattle Youth Symphony.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Ed was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Tuba Man was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern and sensitivity for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends.

Ed's greatest gift was his understanding of music. It was here that he achieved his greatest success, and more importantly, made so many friends. Not only did his fellow musicians respect his abilities and understanding of classical music, his enthusiasm made playing fun! He was the principal tubist with the Bellevue Philharmonic and he also played with the Cascade Symphony. Later he became a street musician and was well known throughout the Seattle area. Tuba Man was enterprising, inventive and could play almost any tune. Tuba Man had the uncanny ability to put a smile on anybody’s face, possibly because of his gift for insight.

Because Tuba Man loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were writing, collecting CDs and records. He also had a pension for collecting and wearing hats. Tuba Man wasn't afraid to be different, and in fact with his hats he embraced his differences! His favorite composers were Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. He loved listening to the Chicago Symphony and also the Seattle Opera. Some of his musical heroes were the members of the Chicago Symphony brass section, considered by many the greatest brass section in all of classical music. However, Tuba Man's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

In addition to playing outside all the major NW sports venues, Tuba Man enjoyed watching sports as well. Often his fans would share their extra tickets with him, giving him the opportunity to voice his support for the home team in his own unique way. He especially enjoyed being displayed on the scoreboard TV, and developed a special dance that was sure to attract attention. Tops on his list were the Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics and the Thunderbirds.

Tuba Man loved taking vacations. His favorite place each year was to go to Disney Land in California. One reason, according to Kelsey, was that there were some female friends that would look forward to his frequent visits. Disneyland also matched Tuba Man's belief in the magic, innocence, and wonder of the world.

Tuba Man McMichael passed away on November 3, 2008 at his home in Seattle, Washington. He is survived by his brother Kelsey and sister Joyce. A private funeral service was held Wednesday morning, November 12, 2008 at Acacia Funeral Home and Ed was laid to rest in Acacia Memorial Park. A public memorial service was held later that evening at the Qwest Field Event Center.

From the words of the Tuba Man.

"Thank you everyone for all the tips,"

"The money always paid the bills, reduced the debts and fed the Tuba Man”.

“Edward Scott McMichael."

A note in the melody of Seattle is now silent...

...yet the songs he played in our hearts will live on.

Arrangements under the direction of Acacia Memorial Park and Funeral Home