For starters, the father of six and grandfather of 11 served as an aerial navigator in the U.S. Marines for 12 years, including Vietnam.  After being medically discharged in 1972, he worked as a general contractor, building single family residential homes for more than 20 years.  Upon his retirement from home building, he found himself with a lot of free time, he said.

"It was right after Hurricane Katrina," the 66-year-old Bonney Lake resident said. "I was bored sitting around the house all day doing nothing."

That was when he began volunteering for the American Red Cross.  In no time, he was putting in full-time hours.  His building skills and knowledge made him a great asset to the organization.  He began doing damage assessment after natural disasters. He enjoyed the work.

"It feels good to be able to help people," he said.  "I like giving back and helping out. Volunteering is a motivator.  It's great to be able to accomplish something that helps someone in need."

Volunteering has become Molyneux's calling, said Amber Walker, an emergency services coordinator for the American Red Cross.

"Mike is a unique volunteer," Walker said. "His commitment and dedication distinguish him among other volunteers."

His generosity of spirit has seemingly rubbed off on his children.  He has one son serving in the Navy, a daughter who retired from the Army, and a son who retired from the Navy.

During his time with the Red Cross, he has assisted with efforts after things such as hurricanes in Florida, flooding in New Hampshire, wildfires in California, and flooding in Minnesota.  Some situations stand out more than others, he said.

There was a 72-year-old woman who had lived in a house that had been in her family for three generations.  She lost just about everything.

"She was really someone that I won't ever forget," he said. "She lost everything.  Her whole life was in that house, and it was destroyed.  I helped the woman get resituated.  But she lost so much."

Then there are the wildfires in California.  They are amazing the way they spread, he said.

"There were times when a garage would burn completely down and the house next to it would not be touched," he said. "Then there were places where the fires destroyed every house, and we had to use a GPS to figure out the address we were looking at."

Sometimes funny things can happen as well, he said. He recalled an incident when he was mistaken for a federal agent.

"I was working in this trailer park and had my badge in a black leather case like federal agents use," he said. "All the sudden a group of men scattered all over the place.  They were illegal immigrants."

When asked why he devotes so much time to volunteering, he said his duties come easy, but his job is difficult.  But in the end, it's worth it.  He compared working for the Red Cross to his military service.

"Being able to help is great," he said. "You can't let it emotionally hurt you.  You have to build up a shell.  It's just like the military.  In Vietnam, I lost buddies, and I couldn't let it get to me."