Michael Adrian "Mickey" Peeler, 79, of Canton, Georgia, passed away on September 8, 2026, surrounded by the family he loved so deeply.

Mickey was born on April 6, 1947, in Statesville, North Carolina, to Delbert Leon Peeler and Edythe Smith Peeler. He grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he attended Goldsboro High School. He continued his education at North Carolina State University before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism.

On July 18, 1971, Mickey married Judy Morris at Oakdale Church of God. For the next 55 years, they built a life together that took them from North Carolina to South Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Florida and ultimately Georgia. Through every move, every chapter and even the difficult seasons that are part of a lifetime together, one thing remained constant. Judy always knew that she was Mickey's one and only true love.

Mickey and Judy raised two children, Chase and Brittany, and there was never any question that their family was his greatest source of pride. As a father, Mickey showed his love by being there. He was in the stands for Chase's baseball games and at Brittany's gymnastics meets, usually with a camcorder in hand, recording the moments that would later become treasured family home videos.

And when his children needed more than a cheering section, Mickey was there for that too. School projects were never simply assignments when Mickey got involved. From science fairs to toothpick bridge competitions, he brought his creativity, intelligence and determination to the task, making sure Chase and Brittany were prepared and that whatever they created was the very best they could make it. He supported his children throughout their lives, celebrated their accomplishments and made sure they always knew they could depend on him.

Mickey approached nearly everything in life the same way: if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. He did not believe in doing just enough to get by. He gave his projects, his work and, especially, his family everything he had.

There truly seemed to be nothing Mickey couldn't build or repair. He was happiest with a project in front of him, using a combination of creativity, determination and an uncanny ability to figure out how to make something work. His workshop was his element, and some of the things he created became part of his family's most treasured memories.

There was the treehouse he built for Chase and Brittany, a fixture of their childhood that is remarkably still standing today. There were countless home projects and Halloween costumes, each approached with Mickey's characteristic refusal to do anything halfway. He once transformed Chase into a traffic light. For Brittany's 1950s roller-skating waitress costume, he created the perfect cheeseburger and milkshake props. Whether he was building something, repairing something that was broken or dreaming up an idea for a school campaign or costume, Mickey rarely settled for the ordinary. If he was going to make it, he was going to make it memorable.

He brought that same energy to family adventures. Mickey loved road trips, particularly those shared with Judy and their extended family. Chase remembers trips to California to visit baseball parks, visits to the Baseball Hall of Fame and a two-week childhood road trip through Chicago, Dallas and beyond. The destinations mattered, but the memories made together mattered more.

After retiring in 2002, Mickey found another job to take seriously: cooking. He took over the kitchen at home while continuing to tackle an endless supply of projects. He enjoyed following politics, keeping up with friends on Facebook and watching Fox News. Even in retirement, sitting still for too long was never

really Mickey's style. There was almost always something to cook, build, repair, improve or figure out.

After their grandchildren arrived, family once again determined the direction of Mickey and Judy's lives. Judy found herself spending more and more time in the Atlanta area, and in 2017 Mickey finally agreed it was time to move to Canton to be closer to them.

Mickey's legacy can be found in the things he built, but even more so in the people for whom he built them. It is in a treehouse still standing years later, in home videos of childhood games and gymnastics meets, in school projects and elaborate Halloween costumes, and in miles of family road trips. It is in the lesson that you don't do something halfway when it matters. It is in two children who knew their dad would be there when they looked into the stands. And it is in a family that always knew how proud he was of them.

When Chase and Brittany picture their father as they want to remember him, they see Mickey in his workshop, building something for one of his many projects. It is a fitting picture of a man who spent a lifetime doing just that: building, creating, improving and providing for the people he loved.

Mickey is survived by his wife of 55 years, Judy Morris Peeler of Canton; his son, Michael Chase Peeler of Acworth; his daughter, Brittany Peeler Locker and her husband, Zach Locker, of Canton; and his beloved grandchildren, Everett Manning Locker, Preston Gage Locker, Miles Cameron Locker and Roxie Laine Locker. He is also survived by his dear sister-in-law, Faye Morris Miles of Woodstock; his brother-in-law, Wayne L. Morris and his wife, Margarett Morris, of Perry; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and many wonderful friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Delbert Leon Peeler and Edythe Smith Peeler; his brother, Douglas Lee Peeler; and his grandparents, George Alexander and Daisy Peeler and William and Fannie Smith.

The family will receive friends at Lakeside Funeral Home in Woodstock, Georgia, beginning at 1:30 p.m., with the funeral service to follow at 3:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Macedonia Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Furkids, an organization whose mission honors the family's love of animals.

For 55 years, Judy knew Mickey as the man always by her side. Chase and Brittany knew him as the dad who showed up. His grandchildren knew him as their grandfather. And those who knew him well knew that if something needed to be built, repaired, improved or figured out, Mickey was probably the man for the job.

What he built for his family will last far beyond the things made with his hands.