Michael Eugene Ratliff

Michael Eugene Ratliff was born in Berwyn Illinois on Feb 17, 1959. He was the first born son to Eugene and Linda Ratliff. He had four younger brothers: Jeffrey, Duane, Brian and Jamie Ratliff. Michael grew up in Gibraltar Michigan, playing little league baseball and basketball. He graduated from Carlson High School in 1977. He was employed at Ford Motor Company for a short time until the economy forced him to relocate to Texas to find work. He worked for Anheuser-Busch making deliveries to businesses in Galveston Texas. He returned to Michigan when he was recalled and rehired by Ford Motor Company in 1980 to finish an apprenticeship in skilled trades. He took disability retirement due to illness in 2018. Michael passed from this life on August 10, 2020 after a courageous battle of illness of almost four years. Michael was an avid bike rider and enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson for a number of years. He and his friends took numerous vacation trips to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, making it an annual event for a number of years. He even rode Harleys with his daughter Jennifer. Michael was involved at the onset of the organizing of the Ford UAW Frostbite open Golf Outing Fundraiser for Penrickton Center for Blind Children. Michael and his brothers enjoyed participating in 2009 with his younger brother getting a hole-in-one with it being the Frostbite’s first ever hole-in-one winner. Michael is survived by an adopted son Chad Ratliff; his daughter Jennifer; granddaughter Madelyn; his mother Linda Ratliff Cantley (Edwin); his brothers Jeffrey Ratliff, Duane Ratliff (Suzanne), Brian Ratliff (Tamara), and Jamie Ratliff (Holly); his nieces and nephews Brittany Halstead, Jake Tyler, Jordan, Maddison and Cooper, Daniel and Delaney. A host of long time loyal friends, he will be sadly missed by all. The party will be much quieter in the future without Michael.