Maritime Industry Remembers Mike Markey

The Seattle Marine industry lost one of its preeminent mechanical engineers with the passing of Mike Markey on March 2nd.  Mike was the 3rd generation president of Seattle based Markey Machinery Co., the 106 year old heavy marine deck equipment manufacturer, where he followed in the footsteps of his Grandfather, Charles Markey, and his father, William “Bill” Markey, before retiring in 2002.

Mike was born in Seattle and graduated from West Seattle High School.  Afterwards, he received his engineering degree from Stanford Univ. and went on to work for the steam division of General Electric as a sales engineer in Boston.  In 1958, Mike joined the family business as a drafter and later Chief Engineer.

Though Mike had a hand in many of the products of Markey Machinery, he especially cultivated the oceanographic research winch business with UNOLS and NSF where many of the winch standards used today were developed.  Paying close attention to the needs of the ship’s crew and the scientists, Mike evolved the design of oceanographic winches from modified utility winches to specialized, precision winches dedicated to the rigors of deep ocean casts.  The ubiquitous Markey DESH and DUSH series of electric and hydraulic hydrographic winches, developed in the early 1960’s, are a true testament to his approach to this industry’s needs.  Most of these units are still in use today.

Throughout his career, Mike also mentored other young designers and engineers that came to work at Markey.  These include Blaine Dempke, current Markey President and co-owner, and Barry Griffin, who started his engineering career with Markey and, now, represents Markey products with his company Griffin and Associates.

Mike appreciated anything mechanical, especially automobiles, and especially Jaguar automobiles owning several over the years.

---

"Thanks for the notice regarding Mike’s passing.  A very unfortunate loss of kind and gentle man who developed a great company around honest and fair dealing." - Steve Scalzo, COO, Foss Marine Holdings, Inc.

"I’m sure sorry to hear this sad news.  On behalf of all the Associates here at Glosten, I send our condolences out to his family and to all of you at Markey Machinery.  On a personal note, I sure have fond memories of walking the factory floor with Mike as he beamed proudly over the equipment that went out under the Markey name.  He was quite a person!" - John L.R. Edgar III, PE, President, The Glosten Associates

"No one could match Mike's technical sales writing on winches, and never will. He loved machines and could make a winch - quite a mundane simple device- come alive like a painting or work of art so that you could see it and imagine yourself using it.  He was revered by anyone who knew anything about deck machinery- and the " faithful" including anybody who was anybody - from boats being built " on a pile of oyster shells " in the Gulf or being specified in Washington DC would visit him with honest respect. And he gave the same to them.  Before during and after the "discussion"  on the RIGHT way, the Markey way, to do it.

A remarkable man- he gave me the engineering tools to succeed and the support to try,  explore and find new things.  He was critical sometimes in adhering to and preaching the " Markey Stone Tablets"  - in fact I used to joke that the more Mike poo-pooed an idea the more we were probably on to something.  I recall once bringing in a proximity sensor - to which he said in a somewhat mocking tone "what in the world would we ever use that thing for?" But he let us go with it.  Or, having Ron spend maybe 2 months proving we could use overhung pinions." - Barry, BA Griffin Associates,Inc.