Michael Chan, a long time member of the Amherst community of tennis players, passed away on February 12, 2020 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. He was 77 and single.
In his youth Michael, then in Hong Kong, lost his parents and was sponsored to the U.S. by a distinguished photographer from Lenox MA, who has long since passed away. Later Michael enrolled at UMass Amherst, graduating with a B.Sc. degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration in May 1978 and a Master degree in Education in September 1984.
For several years, Michael was a member of the UMass intramural recreational sports staff, with responsibilities of taking official photographs of the intramural championship teams, individual and action shots as well as organizing badminton, racquetball and handball tournaments. He had also worked as equipment manager at Boyden gymnasium, and free-lanced as a photographer at weddings and parties.
Michael was an avid tennis player, known in his hay days for lobs and smashes. He was also a good badminton and table tennis player before taking up tennis as his primary sport. He was actually most proud of himself as a photographer, capturing professional players in action at the U.S. Open and other tournaments, and had a following on Instagram.
He also had musical talent in being able to make up soothing and melodic tunes on the piano, a feat that often entertained audiences and livened up the evenings at Elaine Center at Hadley during his last several months. Michael will be missed by many of his tennis teammates and friends.