Michael William Mealiffe
Michael Mealiffe, a beloved husband, father, friend and multiple-world-record-holding swimmer, died on October 22 in Santa Barbara, CA. He was 85. He’ll be most remembered for his enormous kindness, his empathy, and a smile that brightened the day of anyone lucky enough to be on the receiving end of it.
Michael came into this world along with his identical twin brother Patrick, on July 16, 1940 in Marysville, CA. Their father worked for Standard Oil and was transferred every two years, so the boys moved all over California until they landed in Fresno, where they spent their high school years.
Every day, for over sixty years, Michael could be found happily doing laps in whatever pool was nearby. His love of the water began when he and Pat swam for the Fresno Warriors. Michael was on the 200 yard medley relay team that set the national high school record in 1959, and in 1961 he broke the world record for the 110 yard butterfly.
Consequently, it was no surprise that he was recruited by USC, where he became a three-time All-American starting in 1962.
He married fellow Fresnan Karen Ring in 1963 and together they raised two children. After graduating from USC, Michael began to work in television production, first for CBS, and then for Sid and Marty Krofft Productions, where – over 17 years – he worked on many of their popular and still-beloved children’s television and variety show programs, including H.R. Pufnstuf, The Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Sea Monster, as well as Donnie and Marie.
He left CBS to work for Worlds of Wonder, the toy company responsible for two of the biggest bestsellers of the 80’s, the Teddy Ruxpin animated talking doll and Lazer Tag. Michael finished his career casting commercials for The Casting Studio in Hollywood.
In 1989 Michael came out as a gay man, met the love of his life, Dean Pitchford, who would be by his side for the rest of his life, and returned to competitive swimming when he joined the West Hollywood Aquatics team, aka WH2O. It was with that team that he competed at the 1990 Gay Games, where he made history when he broke two Masters world records in the 50 and 100 meter butterfly and won six gold medals. His achievement received considerable media coverage, including a mention in Sports Illustrated, and it stopped Gay Games critics from the casual dismissal that LGBT competitors weren’t ‘real athletes.’ The 2018 documentary Light In The Water chronicles the early years of WH2O, and Michael’s coming out story and his swimming accolades figure prominently in that film.
In 2009 he was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.
Michael is survived by Dean, his husband of 34 years; his daughter Shannin and son-in-law Don; his son Gavin and daughter-in-law Leah; his grandsons Brandt and Evan; and more friends than you could ever imagine. He was very much loved. His was a life well lived.
