Michael E. Cairns "Mike" Michael Edward "Mike" Cairns, of Noblesville, Indiana, passed away of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma surrounded by his family on Sunday, December 11, 2016, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He was participating in a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania hoping to exterminate this awful disease. His fight against cancer was superhuman and his strength, endurance, and attitude during his fight continued to impress his medical staff and everyone else throughout. Mike was born in Camden, Tennessee on October 8, 1962, to Edward and Sally Cairns. He grew up in Cecil County, and was the valedictorian for the Class of 1980 at West Nottingham Academy. In 1985, he graduated as a mechanical engineer from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where he was a co-op student with General Motors throughout most of his college years. He began his career at GM, later moving to FCA Chrysler, where he was a quality control engineer and head of the sarcasm department. His family is forever indebted to the support that he received from his former West Nottingham classmates, fraternity brothers, Chrysler family, childhood friends, fishing partners and many others. His room at Penn Hospital was often full of friends on weekends, and cards and notes covered the walls of his room. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Sally; his grandparents; as well as his Aunt Marilyn and Uncle David Marquis. He is survived by his wife, Sally; daughter, Anna; son, Andrew and Brooke; his father, Edward; brother, Dave and his wife, Marta, and their daughters, Nina and Lydia; and sister, Jane and her husband, John, and their son, Branch, and daughter, Aileen and her husband, Richard. Also survived by his mother-in-law, Jane; brother-in-law, Chuck; sister-in-law, Becky; brother-in-law, Bill and his wife, Jeanne, and their son, Kenny, and daughter, Cassie and her husband, Ron; and father-in-law, Ken and his wife, Polly. His Marquis cousins, Jamie, Carol, David, Matthew, Rich, Stephanie, Erin and Ramsey; and by his Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol Cairns; and cousins, Jennifer, Jamie, Deja, Devyn and Teagan. He always had a dog by his side, and is survived by his latest four-legged multi-breed companion, Brodie. He loved to fish in Lake Michigan and hike in Idaho. Woodworking was one of his passions, at which he excelled. He loved to torment his nieces and his sister, and never lost an argument simply because he never stopped talking. He was an original Colts fan, following them to the mid-west. A celebration of his life will be held at Head of Christiana Presbyterian Church, 1100 West Church Road, Newark, DE on Saturday, December 17, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be private. An additional celebration will be held near his hometown of Noblesville, Indiana, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Headstrong.org, or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at LLS.org.