My wife and I lost a dear friend. Talbot County lost an extraordinary leader.
Mike Menzies died of cancer Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at the age of 67.
As President and CEO of Easton Bank and Trust Co., past chairman of the Talbot Hospice Foundation and the United Fund of Talbot County and a member of the board of directors of the Mid Shore Community Foundation, Mike epitomized professionalism, civility and competence.
In his eulogy about his brother on June 28 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Oxford, Scott Menzies characterized Mike Menzies as “determined, deliberate and devoted.” And so he was. He was determined to run a successful community bank and give back to the community, he was deliberate in analyzing corporate opportunities and trends and planning for the long-term health of Talbot County non-profits with which he was associated–and absolutely devoted to the organizations he served so diligently.
During his four-year battle with multiple myeloma, Mike was always positive, always upbeat. I was convinced, as were others, that his attitude extended his life. Days before he died, when questioned about what gave him the greatest pride during his career, he hardly hesitated and pointed to his community service. He understood so clearly his responsibilities as a bank president and civic leader.
During his service as chairman of the national Independent Community Bankers Association, he spent a lot of time in Washington, DC, often called upon to testify before congressional committees, as well as the Federal Reserve. While he enjoyed the challenge, he often spoke about the overwhelming influence of the nation’s largest banks in influencing political decisions.
Yet, he seemed determined to convey the goodness of community banking. His message was deliberate in its arguments. He was devoted to banking as practiced in communities throughout our country.
Among his many affiliations, Mike was a 1999 graduate of Leadership Maryland, a statewide program for leaders in the for-profit, non-profit and government sectors. After learning about his death, a classmate wrote how Mike reached out to him when his wife died in 2007. Mike’s first wife died suddenly in 2004. This classmate wrote:
“He gave me a small paperback book to read and it helped me as I moved through the process of grief. I read and cherish the book and I give the same book to family and close friends who face the same journey we have taken. A very special man in my eyes.”
Mike Menzies left the world a better place. His family, friends and associates would attest to that.
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