Michael Sean McCurdy was born on a snowy night in Xenia, Ohio, February 15, 1968, and died September 13, 2023, in McKinney, Texas. His parents, John and Nancy McCurdy, as well as his three siblings, were all born in the Sooner state, and Michael didn’t like being the only “Buckeye” in the family. He started school in Huber Heights, Ohio, and graduated from Living Word Academy in OKC in 1986. He attended Oklahoma Christian University for one year and told everyone his name was “Skip” which is the name he was known by for several years. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a BBA and went on to earn an MBA from The University of Dallas. He co-founded TestingMom.com in 2010 where he worked until his time on this earth ended on September 13th.
He met the love of his life, Gina Benedicto, in March of 1992 and they were married June 29, 1996. Their only child, Rowan, was born July 5, 2004, and she was the apple of his eye. His determination to give Rowan every opportunity to excel in life was what prompted him to write the blog nycgiftedandtalented.wordpress.com that led to the creation of TestingMom.com after their move to NYC. As he did with everything in life, Michael poured himself into being a devoted husband, father, son, business owner, and dog dad.
Michael and Gina were perfect complements to each other. His sometimes-larger-than-life personality was balanced well with Gina’s calm and nurturing demeanor. Michael loved being a dad to Rowan. Her graduation from Legacy Christian Academy in 2022 and acceptance to Baylor were occasions in which he beamed with pride. His legacy of being committed to the love of others and the love of family will live on through his wife and their precious daughter.
His passion for King Charles Cavaliers began in 2015, with his beloved Harmony. Next came Indigo, and then Rusty. There is even a place at the kitchen table where his fur babies politely watch the humans eat. Michael, Rowan, and their certified therapy dog, Harmony, spent many Saturdays visiting the residents of long-term care facilities in New York and Texas.
Michael was always generous with whatever he had. He employed several family members at Testingmom.com at various times. Whether it was paying Rowan $.50 per envelope packed, his mother $2 per handwritten thank you note, or employing nieces and nephews, he was always willing to help.
Michael had a love for politics that originated in the 1990’s. He actively supported both local and national campaigns and used his podcast to reach thousands of people across the nation.
Michael’s energy could fill a room, and he was always able to connect with people and accepted them for who they were. He has always been the ride-or-die friend, and he maintained many high school friendships throughout adulthood.
Michael was preceded in death by his mother-in-law, Kathleen Kae Benedicto, and nephew, Andrew Cochran. He is survived by his loving wife, Virginia (Gina) McCurdy of the home and daughter, Rowan Kathleen McCurdy; parents, John and Nancy McCurdy of Edmond, OK; brother, John and Gina McCurdy of Garland, TX; sister, Stacy Cochran, of Edmond, OK; sister, Suzanne and Kevin Ward of Broken Arrow, OK; in-laws, Luis and Teri Benedicto; sister-in-law, Susan Olson and Ragnar Sorensen; sister-in-law, Mary Benedicto of Los Angeles, California, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.
Michael will truly be missed, and his untimely death leaves a void in the lives of all those who deeply loved and cared about him.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 22, 2023 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas. The family will receive guests for a visitation one hour prior to the service Friday morning at the funeral home. The service will also be live streamed at the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/michael-mccurdy. Interment will be held at Ridgeview Memorial Park following the service.