Michael A. McDermott

Michael McDermott, 74, passed away unexpectedly on August 20, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of friendships, accomplishments and memories that will never be forgotten. He was the beloved son of Robert James McDermott and Pauline (Lucas) McDermott who predeceased him.

Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Mike graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1969. He attended DeSales College in Allentown where he graduated with a degree in Economics, before moving to Denver in 1974, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Mike was a brilliant man with an extraordinary mind. A mathematical genius, he enjoyed a successful career in commercial and construction lending, real estate investing, and building custom homes throughout the Denver metropolitan area.

For those who knew Mike, however, his greatest passion was sports. He possessed an almost unbelievable knowledge of professional football and basketball, able to recall the names, statistics and dates of players from the 1950s forward. Having played college basketball himself, he loved the game throughout his life.

Golf was another lifelong passion. For more than 40 years, Mike played with the same foursome—Harry Foss, Al Thall and Tim Dougherty. In later years, he spent countless hours on the golf course with Ian Kleinman, the son of his dear friend, who had known Mike from the day he was born. Their relationship became a true family bond, and Mike considered Ian a member of his family.

Mike was also legendary among his friends for being “the cheapest man who ever lived.” He would seemingly do anything to avoid picking up a check. But that running joke concealed one of Mike’s greatest qualities: when a friend needed him, he was extraordinarily generous with his time, knowledge and help. He would do almost anything for the people he cared about.

Mike never married, but he cherished the many beautiful women who came into his life and deeply valued his friendships. He is survived by his sister, Paula Weiss, of Scranton, Pennsylvania; his brother, Fr. Robert McDermott, of Orange Park, Florida; his niece, Catherine Weiss, of Los Angeles, California; and his nephew, James Weiss, of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He also leaves behind countless friends who considered him family.

Mike will be remembered for his brilliant mind, his encyclopedic knowledge of sports, his lifelong love of basketball and golf, his humor, his unique personality and, most of all, his extraordinary loyalty to his friends. There will never be another Mike McDermott. Mike will be cremated. Details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.