Michael Francis Carriker

Michael Francis Carriker of Oceanside, CA died on December 6, 2024. He was born April 12, 1950 in the Panama Canal Zone to Frederick Carriker and Martha O'Grady. The second son of an Army Major, his family moved around the United States during his childhood, eventually settling in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended school at Most Holy Trinity and Washington High School. During his time at Washington High School, Michael grew his hair long. Being that it was the 1960's, this did not go over well with school officials, and they threatened him with expulsion. On his own, Michael went to the ACLU and retained an attorney to fight the expulsion. The school reinstated him, with his long hair. He was never seen with short hair again. Michael graduated from Washington High School in 1969.

Early in his life, Michael developed an affinity for music -specifically drums- and scuba diving. Following his high school graduation, Michael moved to Carlsbad, CA and attended Mira Costa College, where he earned his AA degree. He then attended SDSU, taking music and business classes. During his time at SDSU, one of his professors asked him what he really loved and wanted to do. He realized his true passions were playing music and scuba diving. He left SDSU to attend dive school and became a master diver and SCUBA instructor in 1973. While diving, he had quite the eye and a gift for spotting abalone, including finding one that was a quarter inch short of the CA state record. Also during this time, he was the drummer in a number of bands that played around San Diego County; the last of which was Helios. 

In 1972 Michael met and fell in love with his neighbor, Kathy Beckett. They were introduced by Kathy’s father. They dated for six years before they married. They enjoyed diving off the coast of San Diego together. He was an incredible drummer and she loved watching him perform with the bands. It has been said that when he really got going during drum solos, his hands were moving so fast you could not see them. Michael and Kathy married in Santa Barbara, CA in 1978. During their time in Santa Barbara, they had two children. Michael began working at Kinko’s and discovered a passion for printing.

In 1981, Michael, Kathy and their girls moved back to Terramar in Carlsbad. He opened Miriam’s Copy Shop in Oceanside, which he ran until it closed in 2002. For a few years he also worked for Corporate Express as a courier. In 2000, he began working for the Encinitas Union School District and continued to run the district print shop until he retired in 2018. 

After a visit to Rome in 1981, with his Aunt Mary Jo O’Grady, Michael developed a deep love for his faith. Before anything else, he was a Catholic. Throughout most of his life he attended daily mass. He belonged to many prayer groups during his lifetime throughout North San Diego County including the Legion of Mary and Divine Mercy. In the early 2000’s he felt a calling to the Carmelites. After many years of formation, in 2008, he completed his vocation journey and took vows to become a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. His deep love of his faith and his devotion to Jesus and Mary was felt by all who met him. He was always praying for those who asked and sometimes for those who hadn’t. He was most recently a parishioner of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Oceanside.

Michael also had a deep love for his daughters, their husbands, and his grandchildren. He took pride in his daughters, who they grew up to be and who they each married. He absolutely loved being a grandfather. As Papa, he was involved in all four of his grandchildren's lives and maintained close relationships with each of them, always looking for ways to support them in their various endeavors. He was steadfast in his love and prayers for all them.

Michael was preceded in death by his parents, twin brother, Robert, and his sister, Eileen. He is survived by his wife of nearly 47 years, Kathy Beckett Carriker, daughters Anne (Doug) Emfinger, and Katherine (Roy) Gallegos, his four grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Roy, Emily, and Andrew, his stepmother, Joan Carriker Sheets, and six siblings. It’s important to note that while Doug and Roy were his sons-in-law, Michael thought of them and loved them as his own sons. 

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 4470 Hilltop Dr, San Diego, CA 92102. Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a rosary followed immediately by the Rite of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel. A reception will follow the service at the Rancho Calevero Clubhouse, 3570 Calevero Lane, Oceanside.