PORTLAND — Michael J. Chickering, 42, died unexpectedly Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at Maine Medical Center.

Born in Camden on Jan. 10, 1970, he was the son of Arthur D. and Julie Anderson Chickering. After moving to Rockland at an early age, he was educated in local schools and was a 1988 graduate of Rockland District High School.

During his youth, Mike was proud to keep a paper route delivering for The Courier-Gazette and the Bangor Daily News. While in high school, he worked at Take One Photo and Video in Rockland developing an interest in photography. After graduating, he worked in the production department at Down East magazine learning about graphic arts design. He spent the majority of his adult life as a graphic artist working for Good Impressions, Manset Marine, Snowman Printing, Sunset Printing and Publishing, and Lakeside Printing. During the last four years he has been employed with Shaw’s Supermarkets in Rockland and Portland, working most recently at the West Gate Shopping Center location. For the past year, he has also worked as a crossing guard with the city of Portland School Department.

Diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 11, Mike often chose individual pastimes, giving him a somewhat quirky yet independent personality. He was a voracious reader; self-taught in many of his endeavors, he excelled at most. Mike loved people and often stuck up for the underdog. He considered everyone equal, regardless of their status or circumstances.

Mike enjoyed heavy metal music, playing guitar, playing chess, geocaching and video games.

Mike was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Robert and Margaret Anderson, and his paternal grandfather, Alvin Chickering. Besides his parents, Arthur and Julie of Rockland, he is survived by his sister, Suzanne L. Chickering of Bothell, Wash.; his paternal grandmother, Ellene Chickering; aunts and uncles, Virginia and Donald Fennelly all of Edgewater, Fla.; Ronald and Vicky Chickering of Bloomington, Ill., Dorothy and Malcolm Blanchard of Newcastle; as well as several extended family members and friends.

A service in remembrance of Michael’s life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 16 at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock St., Rockland, followed by a reception at the funeral home’s 104 Limerock reception center.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, 500 Forest Ave., Suite 6, Portland, ME 04101; or to Serenity House, c/o Loni Messore, 30 Mellon St., Portland, ME 04101.

To share a memory or story with Mike’s family, please visit his online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.