In memorium: Ed McMichaels, Seattle’s Tuba Man

He was known as the Tuba Man. The bearded man in the glasses and funny hat who played the Tuba for fans outside the city sports arenas. When the team won, the tunes were cheerful; when they lost, he played a dirge. He had his own fans too; people that looked for him after the games. Some brought him food, some brought trinkets and souvenirs. My sister was one of them. She always made sure he had some money.

Edward McMichaels was in my sister’s class at King’s Garden. The class of ’73; the year after mine. He was the slow-going guy with the unique drawl. Sometimes we razzed him for it and he played along with us. I don’t think he took himself too seriously. He remembered everything and wherever he went, he had a pile of books in tow – or a tuba.

Ed and I played in the band together. We were the only players in the high school band who were in the junior high – and we were to only ones playing tubas. Ed played bass tuba and I played the sousaphone – that’s the one that wraps around the player. I was a ninety pound kid playing a fifty pound tuba and we both received plenty of razzing from the other members, but I think they were jealous because we were so young.

Just after midnight, on October twenty-fifth, a handful of young thugs surrounded Ed, kicking and beating him with the intention to rob him. I don’t think he had much money. His greatest wealth was his love for people, but the thugs weren’t looking for that. After spending a couple days in the hospital, he went home – and died.

It would be nice if I told you I had kept touch with him all these years and that his death will be a great loss to me. But I have kept in touch with few from my high school days – and I don’t go to games. Nonetheless, his death is a great loss to me because I know Ed touched many lives for good and even though I have not seen him in years, all my memories of him are good and I cannot reconcile the waste of kicking this man to death for the spare change and the power of brutality.

Ed, I hope you stood firm in your faith in Jesus Christ all these years and I hope to see you in heaven.