William Michael Carruth, known as Mike to all, passed away peacefully in his sleep March 23, 2026 in Savannah, Ga. He was 81.

Mike was born Jan. 16, 1945 in Wilmington, Ohio, before moving to the Santa Maria, Ca. area. He attended Santa Maria High School, graduating in 1963, and went on to attend Hancock College and later the University of California at Santa Barbara, earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 1968. He furthered his education by achieving a master's in business administration in 1980 from Golden Gate University.

He was commissioned into the U.S. Marines Corp in 1968, but was honorably discharged because of a medical condition.

Mike spent 22 years in state government, before retiring in 1994. While working in the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara areas, he was a member of various civic organizations including the Santa Maria Lions Club and Santa Maria Elks Club. He made life-long friends who he communicated with regularly until his death.

Never married, Mike moved in 2000 to Savannah to be closer to his sister, Tarin. Over the next 26 years, he made new friends among his neighbors at Forest River Townhomes.

Known for his love of Ohio-based sports teams, Mike also enjoyed everything on TV from crime dramas to westerns and anything history-related.

Mike is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Tarin and Mark Swendra, of Pooler, Ga., and uncle, Timothy Simmons, of Ohio. He is preceded in death by his mother, Judith Simmons Ames, in 2002.

A memorial service will be held at Baker McCullough Funeral Home Hodgson Memorial Chapel on Friday, March 27, 2026 from 4 pm to 6 pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made out to the Alzheimer's Association and the American Legion.