Father Michael - as he was known in the Isle of Man - was something of an institution around Port St Mary.
He was to be seen in all weathers walking the hills and coastline around Port St Mary and Port Erin during school holidays and at half term. He was a quiet and gentle person, always cheerful, a remarkably good listener, slow to judgement and quick to praise.
He was well known to many locals – many with no Catholic or Christian connections – because he had spent so much time in Port St Mary over so many years.
As he walked around, he was always ready to greet and to talk to whoever he met.
Fr Michael Pinot, who died on June 16 in Noble’s Hospital, was born on September 12, 1932, in Harrow.
His father Gabriel Pinot de Moira, London born of French descent, was an export manager in the City of London.
His mother Sheila (nee Neligan) was born in Youghal, County Cork, and was a teacher until her marriage.
He was the youngest of the family having older twin brothers.
Early in the Second World War, with his twin brothers, three cousins, his mother and three aunts he was evacuated to Hunstanton, Norfolk.
In 1944, at the age of 12, believing that he had a vocation to the priesthood, he entered St Edmunds College, Ware, Junior Seminary for the Archdiocese of Westminster. He continued into the Senior Seminary at St Edmund’s training to be a priest.
In 1952, a fellow seminary student, Francis Daley, invited him to the Isle of Man to stay with his parents, during the summer holidays.
While staying in Port St Mary, he also met Helen Stitt, Francis’s cousin, and Dr Robert Stitt, her husband.
He fell in love with the Isle of Man and was to return almost every year for the next 60 years.
The Stitts were to facilitate his visits to the island by ensuring he always had accommodation and a warm welcome.
Michael also visited his Irish grandparents in County Cork most years, absorbing something of his Irish heritage.
As a young priest he experienced riding on horseback to reach the Cork country chapel where he was to say Mass.
He was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Westminster on May 26, 1956, and was appointed as the junior curate to the parish of Our Lady at St John’s Wood, London.
He decided to take the parish altar servers on a Christmas treat to the ice skating rink.
Although they were warned that they were taking too many risks, the boys were thrilled by the experience and the treat was repeated the following year.
On the grounds that Michael was obviously good with children, he was appointed to return as a teacher at St Edmund’s in 1958, much to his horror. However he found that he loved teaching. In the following years he taught Latin, French and maths, besides contributing - with a number of other priests who were on the staff - towards the spiritual needs of the pupils. Later he became Head of Junior House. After Junior House was disbanded, he taught maths to all year 7 and 8 pupils.
Times were changing and in the early 1970s St Edmund’s began the process of becoming co-educational by introducing girls. He considered that it was the best thing that had ever happened to the school.
Michael insisted that the girls were treated equally and despite opposition from his priestly colleagues, girls were encouraged to become altar servers - which were very unusual at that time.
The reduction in priests through this period resulted in him soon being the only priest in residence. During the last 15 years, he took on the additional task of visiting the home of every new pupil during the latter part of the summer holidays.
The college celebrated Michael’s 50th anniversary of his ordination in 2006 with an outdoor Mass, followed by lunch for the school, friends and family. To mark the event on the Isle of Man, there was a special Mass and he was presented with a picture of Spanish Head, the area over which he particularly loved walking, that the parish had commissioned from a local artist.
From 1958, Michael was able to visit the Isle of Man more regularly as he was free during school holidays.
He was drawn by the scope for walking across unspoilt landscapes and would spend as much time as possible outdoors visiting his favourite spots around the south of the island.
He also greatly enjoyed swimming in the summer in the sea around Perwick and Colloway. He acted as a relief priest at St Columba’s Church in Port Erin, one of the two Catholic churches in the south of the island served by one priest.
As well as visiting in the summer, he began flying over at Christmas to help with Christmas services, leaving on Boxing Day for his annual Skiing holiday. Knowing the importance of providing Mass at both Churches in the parish, he also started to visit at Easter to assist with Holy Week services.
For at least the last 20 years Michael has visited the Island practically every half term and school holidays providing considerable assistance to the parish priest, saying Mass on at least 15 Sundays every year , as well as officiating at some baptisms, funerals and weddings. His long association with the parish and its people meant that he was greatly loved and appreciated and his regular visits much anticipated.
His collapse with a stroke the day after arriving on the island while out walking, came as a great shock to all who had known him. He died in Hospital three weeks later, without regaining consciousness. We mourn the passing of a wonderful man, a true Christian, loved by all who knew him.