Michael Gerald Giffin

Michael Gerald Giffin

November 28, 1953 – December 28, 2023

   SAN DIEGO – Michael Gerald Giffin passed away peacefully on December 28, 2023 in his home in San Diego, following a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.  He was 70.  Per his wish, there will be no memorial service.

   Mike was born on November 28, 1953 in Detroit, MI to Gerald and Eleanor Giffin.   Independent and self-motivated, at eight years old Mike delivered the morning newspaper in nearby Ferndale.  He picked cherries as an adolescent.  He pumped gas, all the while saving money to attend college.  Mike graduated in 1975 from Lawrence Institute of Technology with a BS in Construction Engineering and in 1976 from Purdue University with a MS in Civil Engineering.

   Mike held increasingly responsible positions with Daniel International Corporation and Morrison-Knudsen Company, being last transferred to San Diego.  He met Karen Stromsness there in 1982 and they were married in 1983.  They were blessed to welcome sons Steven and James into their family in 1985 and 1987, respectively.

   In 1990, Mike and his then business partner founded B&G Consultants, a construction program management consulting firm.  B&G’s fingerprints are on numerous buildings and developments in San Diego County and beyond.  For details, please visit www.bngconsultants.com.

   An enthusiast of physical exercise, Mike and his brother Mark were expert water-skiers in their youth.  Mike also loved snow-skiing, biking, and running.  He went to the gym every day.

   Mike learned home-building and wood-crafting from his parents.  He taught himself fine woodworking and stained-glass fabrication, becoming an expert in both.  He created innumerable gorgeous pieces of furniture and decorative objects, primarily in the arts & crafts/craftsman style.  Mike and Karen’s home on Glen Lake in Michigan is filled with his exquisite creations.

   Mike and Karen loved to travel.  Beyond the USA, they visited 17 countries on 6 continents.  Both having Scottish ancestry, great times were spent in Scotland finding the Giffin properties and structures, and also hunting for and finding other obscure castle ruins throughout the country.  Steven and James joined on many overseas journeys.

   Survivors include Mike’s mother, Ellie; wife Karen; sons Steven (Katie) and James; granddaughters Ellie, Madison, and Lucy; sisters Christine (Paul) and Cindy (Ed); brother Mark (Jane); and 11 nieces and nephews and their children.  Sadly, Mike’s father Gerry passed away 15 days after Mike did.

   Our beloved Mike was intelligent, dependable, encouraging, loving, and humble.   He had a great sense of humor.  He was a gifted mentor to not only his sons, but to innumerable people in the development/construction industry.  He placed other people’s needs before his own.   

   We, his family, grieve deeply that Mike is no longer with us.  But we know he is now pain-free and perfectly at peace in the arms of the Prince of Peace.