Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret and Patrick Sr.; and brothers, Patrick Jr., Timothy and Richard. Mike is survived by nieces and nephews Lynn, Sean (Kris), Chad (Melissa) and their mother, Kay Melissa Suek (Nick), and her mother, Mary Schwietzer (Mike); special friends, the Johnson family; and numerous other friends from every phase of life.

Mike was born and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended St. Mark’s Catholic Grade School and Cretin High School. He collected lifelong friends during his time at school, many of whom visited Mike in his final weeks.

Mike enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1968 and was stationed in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he was a petty officer (“The Silver Fox”) with the VXE-6 Antarcticdevron Six (“The Pickled Penguins”), helping to fly researchers and supplies to Antarctica. He returned home in 1972 and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a sociology degree.

Mike started his bureaucratic (his word) career with the state of Minnesota and worked for nearly 30 years in the DEED Labor and Statistics Division. He spent time in Duluth and New Ulm, Minnesota. In New Ulm he met the Johnsons, who provided Mike a family away from home. He loved happy hours with Teresa, trading stories with John, and seeing Sarah, Patrick, Barbara, and Frank grow up. Mike belonged to the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security (IAPES), traveling to conferences all over the United States with his IAPES friends.

After his mom died, Mike moved back to the family home on Cleveland Avenue in St. Paul. He befriended his four-legged neighbors Max, Brooklyn and Freddie, regularly launching treats over the fence, much to their delight. He also was an usher at St. Mark’s Church, as his dad was before him.

Mike retired in 2004. He spent much of retirement traveling in both the United States and around the world. He visited every continent, ticking off the last one, South America, in 2017. Mike moved to Falcon Heights Senior Living in 2020, where he enjoyed daily 3 p.m. coffee, monthly celebrations, and reading on his beloved veranda in all kinds of weather. Mike visited his friends there for the last time on Aug. 12. A lifelong Democrat, U.S. Navy veteran and St. Paul boy, Mike’s humor, wit, and his good looks (just ask him!) live in our memories. His family prefers memorials to Our Lady of Peace Hospice in St. Paul.

Visitation is Monday, Aug. 21, from 5-7 p.m. at Willwerscheid Funeral Home, 1167 Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Visitation will continue on Tuesday one hour prior to the 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 2001 Dayton Ave. in St. Paul. Interment will be at 1 p.m. at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Assembly Area 2. Please don’t forget — there is no such thing as a koala bear. Koalas are marsupials.

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