Michael Joseph Power

Michael Joseph Power, 90, of Hanahan, passed away peacefully at home on June 14, 2014. The relatives and friends of Michael J. Power are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM Friday, June 20, 2014, at Divine Redeemer Catholic Church, 1106 Fort Drive, Hanahan. The Rite of Committal will be held at a later date at Killahenny Catholic Cemetery, near the First Hole of the Old Course in Ballybunion, Ireland. The family will receive friends between the hours of 6:00 & 8:00 PM Thursday, June 19, at the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Highway. Mike was born August 9, 1923 to the late Michael C. and Julia J. Power of Ballybunion, County Kerry, Ireland. He was the 7th of 11 children, having 5 brothers and 5 sisters. He is predeceased by his brothers Bob, Teddy and Willie, and by his sisters Kitty Ollivere, Sheila O'Leary and Margaret Boyle. Survivors are his companion and caregiver, Hermeine Tovey, sisters Mary and Bridie, and his brothers James and John, all living in Ireland, and 23 nephews and nieces. Mike attended school in Ballybunion and learned to play golf, his lifelong career, while caddying on the world-renowned links course there. On leaving school he joined the Royal Air Force and was stationed in India during WWII. When the war ended, he emigrated to Canada where he worked a 3-11 shift in a meat-packing plant. He spent his mornings practicing his game. While visiting a cousin in New York, he was referred by Spalding Brothers to the Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, NJ, where he was hired as assistant pro. Later, on a trip to Florida, he stopped at Yeamans Hall Club to visit the course, which led to his becoming assistant pro there in 1953 for the winter months and continuing as assistant pro at Springdale for the summer months. In 1976 he became the year-round head pro at Yeamans Hall Club. He lost his right leg below the knee to cancer in 1958, but he never let his handicap stop him from playing golf. Two years after losing his leg he set a course record by shooting 64 at Yeamans. In 1978 and '79 he won the South Carolina PGA Chapter senior division. The Summer Golf Association at Yeamans has named its club championship trophy in his honor. In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to Hospice of Charleston Inpatient Facility, 676 Wando Park Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, or Divine Redeemer Catholic School, 1106 Fort Dr., Hanahan, SC 29410.