Michael (Mike) Lyon, Age 75, was born in Florence, Alabama and passed away after a brief illness on February 22, 2024. He was a fifth generation native of Lauderdale County and was a Great Grandson of Dora Pounders and G.W. Landrum, whose ancestors settled in the community of Wright near Waterloo in 1857. His maternal Great Grandparents, Charles L. and Francis Brown Newbern settled in the Anderson Community in the early 1900’s, after migrating from Cobb County, Georgia.
He was preceded in passing by his parents, Lois Gladney and George E. Lyon and his older Brother James (Jym) Edwin Lyon. Also, he was preceded by his maternal grandparents, J.M. and Lee Newbern Gladney and his paternal grandparents, James E. and Nona Landrum Lyon.
He is survived by his Neice Kimberly Fissel, of Mounds, OK and her daughter Ashley Brown of Tulsa. As a lifelong bachelor, He passed without Issue.
Mike’s education began at Northwood Methodist, Harlan, Appleby, and Coffee High Class of ‘67. Competitive Sports started early with an AAU Membership and continued all through school. College took him to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he graduated with a BS Degree. He was an active member of the Delta Theta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. As a Vietnam Era Veteran, he used the G.I. Bill to receive an MBA Degree from the University of North Alabama. He was a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, Honor Society in Economics.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy his Junior Year at Alabama. Officer Candidate School (OCS), Newport, Rhode Island was conducted in the summer of 1971 and completed in the spring of 1972, after graduating from Alabama. He was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He served approximately two years of Sea Duty on board the USS Lester DE-1022, homeported in Naples, Italy. SCUBA Certification was attained through NAUI at AFSOUTH, NATO, Naples, Italy. The Lester returned to the U.S. in 1974 and was Decommissioned. His final duty assignment, as a Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG), was as a Communications Security Officer with NATO SACLANT in Norfolk, Virginia.
After graduate school, he continued his real education with a two-year walk about of Central and South America. He followed the Maya, the Inca and took a banana boat down the Amazon. Danced at Carnival in Salvador Bahia before continuing the walkabout. He always thought that he was a better traveler than he was a tourist!
With a lifetime of experiences under his belt from travel and the people he met along the way, he returned to the states and settled in Texas. Using Houston and Dallas as a bases of operation, he applied his education and entrepreneurial skills to build or help build several businesses in the construction industry. Professionally he had been an active member of RCAT, NRCA, CSI and RCI. Mike retired early and returned home to honor a filial responsibility (A Family Tradition).
No formal service is planned at this time. A graveside burial, assisted by Greenview Funeral Home, at Greenview Memorial Park with only close family members present was his request.
