‘Like to go on adventures’: Maryland hunter and his family loved the outdoors
Michael “Mikey” Stovall was all things outdoors: from snowboarding to finding deer antler sheds to surfing and finding shark teeth on the beach.
The 40-year-old Southern Maryland man was headed home from a hunting trip with friends around Great Bend when seven of them died in Wednesday night’s crash on American Airlines Flight 5342. The plane, which had taken off from Wichita, was descending at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River. None of the 67 people on board either survived.
Among those he’s survived by include a wife and their son.
The steamfitter has been married to his wife, Ashleigh, for 14 years and they have an 11-year-old son named Jake, according to NBC4 Washington and information on the GoFundMe that was established to help the family.
The couple shared their passion for the outdoors with their son.
“In my free time my husband, son and I like to go on adventures,” according to a bio about Ashleigh at the environmental organization she works at that teaches children about the outdoors. “We do a lot of hiking to look for shed antlers or shark teeth. In the winter we snowboard as much as possible – all 3 of us! Some other activities I enjoy include gardening, paddleboarding, and taking our RV on new adventures!”
Online photos show the three of them with their snowboards, hiking on mountains, hanging out on the beach, finding antler sheds — and Michael Stovall always donning a smile.
“He was an infectious character with a giant smile who couldnt have been more proud of his wife and son,” Robert Woycik wrote on Facebook. “You could hear him light up when talking about Jake shooting big bucks(id get a picture every time jake drew blood haha) or playing baseball. Ill miss our early morning talks, enjoy the endless hunts now brother.”
He also would take on other adventures for his son.
“We often joked about how quickly he progressed from being the helpful dad knowing nothing about baseball to coaching a team!” Lewis Payne said on Facebook. “I enjoyed his smile, positive presence, willingness to help, and most importantly his updates on Jake! He just lit up talking about his son. You’re a stand up guy, the ultimate family man and you will be missed very much by us all.”
Stovall was a 2002 graduate on St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Maryland and had been working at Gaghan Mechanical, the Catholic school said in a Facebook post.
Steamfitters Local 602 in Maryland said he had been a member for 19 years.
Stovall also loved fishing and was an avid hunter.
The hunting trip in Kansas was three days of duck hunting, some goose hunting and a “European” pheasant hunt, where birds are released for shooters who are waiting in blinds.
They had great success. One photo from Fowl Plains, the outfitter that hosted the men, showed the group in front of more than 70 geese.
“For them to be able to do something for the last five or six days that they all loved together,” said Chase White, an owner of the outfitter, “you know, I think that is something really special for sure.”
Stovall had been texting his mother, Christina Stovall, on his way back, including on the plane, saying that he couldn’t “wait to be home” from the “super long trip” and that the 100 mph tail wind might get them home an hour sooner, according to Wink news. She texted him when he was supposed to arrive but he never texted back, the news outlet reported.
Many took to social media and the GoFundMe fundraiser to show their care for the Stovall family.
“Mikey helped my husband and I a lot when we were going through difficulties several years ago, even helping him get a job,” Syanne Centeno-Bloom said on the fundraiser. “He is truly one of the kindest souls, and we are lucky to have known him.”
The fundraiser can be found at shorturl.at/0GXj0.
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM.