Michael Stovall Obituary: A Maryland family is grieving after one of their own, Michael “Mikey” Stovall, was confirmed to be one of the many who perished when a mid-air collision led to a deadly crash near Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night. Stovall was among passengers on the doomed American Airlines jet that plunged into the Potomac River after it collided with a military helicopter. All aboard the plane were killed: 60 passengers and four crew members.
Michael Stovall, 40, was a steamfitter by trade but an outdoorsman, hunter, and skier at heart, so his Facebook page was filled to the brim with pictures showing him on these various adventures with his wife, son, and friends. Stovall was returning from Kansas, where he had gone on a hunting trip with his longtime buddies, a ritual for him.
“It was a boys’ trip,” said Shawna Slarb, a cousin of Stovall. “They were there on a duck hunt.”
Stovall was aboard the plane with at least six friends from the adventure, many of whom had known each other since boyhood. Some of their hunting companions had decided to drive instead of flying, bringing hunting gear and dogs that were to be used on the trip.
Mikey Stovall was very active in his community. He coached his son’s baseball team and was a member of the Steamfitters Local 602 union in Maryland. The union confirmed Thursday that four of its members were among the victims of the crash.
“Mikey Stovall could often be found at the field coaching his son and his team,” a statement from the Southern Maryland Youth Organization read. “He was more than a coach – he was a true volunteer, always willing to lend a hand, and all the while doing it with a smile on his face.”
In his honor, SMYO will name a place on its Memorial Wall under the announcer’s booth on Field 4.
Michael’s mother, Christine Stovall, said her son was very giving. “From when he was little, everybody will tell you, Mikey loved everybody,” she told NBC affiliate WRC-TV. “He sees no color, he sees no anything. He’s very non-prejudiced, non-judgmental.”
Christine and her husband traveled to southern Maryland to console Mikey’s 11-year-old son, Jake, and his wife, Ashleigh.
The family’s grief is compounded by the slow recovery efforts. “I’m just numb,” Christine said, expressing heartbreak over the search for victims in the icy Potomac waters.
Two of Mikey’s best friends, Calvin Rice and Tony Roberts, decided to set up a GoFundMe account in an effort to try to help Ashleigh and Jake with financial burdens over the next couple of months. The campaign has raised over $44,000 so far, out of the $60,000 goal.
“No amount is too small,” Rice wrote. “All proceeds will go to Ashleigh and Jake. These funds will be used to help with any basic financial needs as we work towards the healing process.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently in the lead of the investigation of this crash. Preliminary reports indicate American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., when it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. The helicopter had three military personnel on board; all were killed.
Michael “Mikey” Stovall will be long remembered as a true loving husband, father, and friend. The warmth and kindness he showed truly left their stamp on the community. His legacy of being a good family man and helping young athletes through his sports business lives on in the many people he touched.
