Rev. Alan McCain -- Izmir, Turkey

The Rev. Alan "Mick" Ritchie McCain, 78, of Izmir, Turkey, died Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017. He was an English teacher, administrator, ordained minister, and missionary with the United Church of Christ.

Mick was born March 18, 1939, to Allison and Mary (Ritchie) McCain and grew up in Oshkosh, Wis.

He is survived by his wife, Even Egeli McCain, of Izmir, Turkey; his children, Betsy (Brent) McCain Schroeder, of Plantsville, Conn., and Andrew (Elif) McCain, of St Paul; three stepsons, Hasan, Huseyin, and Sitki Egeli; 10 grandchildren that brought him endless joy; and his siblings, Thom (Jan) McCain, Bruce (Donna) McCain, and Molly (Mike) Batzner. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Sally Ann Bliss McCain.

An ordained graduate of Andover Newton Theological Seminary, Mick served in churches in Wells River, Vt., Bath, N.H., and Rochester, Minn.

Mick touched thousands of lives as a teacher in Talas and Tarsus, Turkey, where he served in mission, as both an educator and administrator, and later as the UCC's Global Ministries representative to the Middle East. There, he and Sally oversaw three schools, a publishing house and hospital. His mission work additionally reached out to the interfaith communities of the region and refugees.

Mick's twilight years were hand-in-hand with Even Egeli, with whom he traveled, led tours, and wrote tour guides in Turkey.

Music flowed through him all the days of his life, from singing with family, in many choirs and conducting music wherever it was needed.

Mick will be interred at the Ferikoy Cemetery in Istanbul, Turkey. Memorial gifts can be given to the Aegean Forest Foundation (Ege Orman Vakfi), to the United Church of Christ, or to the Health and Education Foundation of Turkey (SEV).