Michael Duncan Macfarlan

Michael Duncan Macfarlan, of Barboursville, Virginia, was welcomed by the Lord and the saints Feb. 28, following a 3-year journey with colon cancer. He was surrounded by love and held by countless prayers.

Michael was born on Sept. 1, 1985, in Earlysville, Virginia, the third of four children. He spent his childhood wandering the woods, quietly cooking up mischief, and living out wild adventures with the neighborhood crew. He attended The Covenant School from second grade through high school, where he scored wins on the soccer and lacrosse fields, a starring role in “Godspell” (note: please reach out to the family if you have documentary evidence), and innumerable lifelong friends.

He left Hooville to become a Hokie, where he studied biology, continued mischief-making alongside a tight-knit community of college brothers, and rediscovered a passion for the Catholic faith in which he was raised. He returned home after graduation and began working in area vineyards, finding much contentment and spiritual meaning in tending vines. He met the love of his life at a Young Life camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2010, and the two were married within the year. A decade and four kids later, he switched from wine to the tech world and was in the process of earning his masters in data science, with the goal of using data to help people fight cancer.

He believed “All the way to heaven is heaven,” as Saint Catherine of Siena shared, and for him those foretastes largely revolved around his great, big family: his wife of 13 years, Jodi; his kids, Ella, Emory, Olly, and Liza; his siblings, Luke (Amy) Macfarlan, Theresa (Jacob) Peterson, Claire (Jason) Johnson, Morgan (Evan) Dermott, and Brinn (Alejo) Garcia-McGhee; his parents, Andy and Carrie Macfarlan and Roxie and Larry Huyett; and his growing list of nieces and nephews.

While Michael’s life impacted many concentric circles of people, Jodi and the kids were the principal focus of his attention. He lovingly cultivated and fiercely defended his family in a way that was apparent to everyone around him.

He found God in nature and delighted in so many facets of it — trees, flowers, birds, gardening, hiking, and especially tractoring. He loved to learn and regularly added new hobbies — from fermentation to fishing, hot-sauce-making to banjo-picking. His stack of partly read books never dwindled, and his personal library constantly grew.

Though the last 3 years of his life were marked by suffering, he did not struggle without hope — or humor. The email updates he wrote throughout his treatments were evenly sprinkled with colon puns and spiritual insights, and they gained a devoted readership. He never ended an email without a lengthy list of things for which he was grateful: chief among them, his faith in the triune God and the immense strength he drew from it.

All are invited to attend the celebration of resurrected life at noon on Friday, March 7, at Church of the Incarnation (1465 Incarnation Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22901). To honor Michael’s everyday joy and his confidence in heaven, please wear Easter colors — bonus points for any elements of nature (e.g., floral/foliage/bird patterns) thrown in. A private burial will follow the service, with any and all welcome to reconvene for a time of togetherness and sharing stories at the Wool Factory (1837 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA 22902) from 5 to 8 in the evening.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support Michael’s family via GoFund.me/784b4006. Thank you for loving him so well.

A live stream of the service will be available at https://www.youtube.com/@incarnationparish4404/streams and https://www.facebook.com/incarnationcville for those not able to attend in person.

Arrangements are entrusted to Batten Funeral Home of Ruckersville, Virginia.