Charles Michael "Mike" Irwin

Charles Michael Irwin of Maryville, TN, went home to Jesus on March 1, 2021. Mike, as he was known to all who knew him, was a kind, generous man, a loving father and husband, and a lifelong Christian. He was born to the late Lee Roy Irwin, Jr. and Imogene Brown Irwin in the mid-1940s in Cartersville, GA. As a child, he grew up on the stories that his Pa Irwin and Grandmother Hankins told him, and he passed these tales on to his loving wife, Berta, and children, James Michael and Beth.

Mike would eventually attend the University of Tennessee and receive both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in animal science. He always claimed that the only B he ever received was in Organic Chemistry, and anyone who has ever taken that college course would understand his struggle. After graduating from graduate school, Mike worked for Gold Kist Farms and would later receive training as a gun smith/metal engraver. Mike was an excellent artist, so transitioning into gun smithing was simple for him. Hunting was also important to him, and he recalled fond memories of hunting on his Uncle Joe and Aunt Faye’s farm as a young man. He and James Michael would often make monthly trips to Georgia to hunt deer together.

Mike and his family are lifelong members of Fairview United Methodist Church in Maryville, and Mike was an avid volunteer in the kitchen, helping to serve his church family. Service was instrumental in his Christian walk and went beyond his home church. For many years, he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity where he served as site foreman for several home builds in the Maryville area. Truly, Mike put others before himself.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 42 years, Berta Anderson Irwin; his daughter, Bethany Ellen Irwin (and son-in-law, Adam Fletcher); and his son, James Michael Malis Irwin. Mike was an only child, but he counted many of his cousins as close as brothers and sisters. The family wishes to thank NHC Farragut Rehabilitation Facility, Amy Hamilton, and Marian Lewis for their kindness and care in Mike’s final days.

A graveside service will be held at 12:00 PM, Saturday, April 10, 2021, at Sunset Memory Gardens in Cartersville, GA.