Michael Pfaffinger

Michael “Mike” Joseph Pfaffinger died Dec. 6, 2021, surrounded by loved ones at his Minneapolis, MN, home, two years after being diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cancer.

Mike was born June 18, 1962, in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and raised on the family farm, where he assisted with the farming operation throughout his youth. He graduated in 1980 from Blue Earth High School, where he was a member of the wrestling team.

Mike attended college at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall before transferring to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Mike spent his entire career working in the Twin Cities medical device industry and was passionate about helping to create products that improved people’s lives and health outcomes. His work history included ev3, Covidien, and most recently, Medtronic Inc., where he served as a principal reliability engineer,

In his 20s and 30s, Mike was passionate about playing competitive ultimate frisbee, where he made long and lasting friendships, and met his first wife, Janet Kane, who remained his dear friend. In recent years, Mike was passionate about mountain biking, and loved nothing better than getting out on the trails in places near (Theodore Wirth, Elm Creek, Duluth) and far (Sedona and Costa Rica) with his wife, Gail, his friends, and his sons.

In his lifetime, Mike lived deeply and laughed deeply, and he will forever be loved deeply. He was preceded in death by his father, Otto, and his mother Vivian (Zimmerman).  He is survived by his devoted wife and loving soulmate Gail O’Kane; his much-beloved sons, Joe (23) and Jack (21); his stepson, Jack O’Kane (17); his siblings Bob (Kay), John (Georgie), Kate Pfaffinger (David Jones), Mary (Jim Focht) and Karen (Mark Johnson); 14 nieces and nephews; 19 grand-nieces and -nephews, and many devoted friends.

The family will be forever grateful to the nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors and other staff in Palliative Care and in Medical Oncology at Mayo Clinic and to his team of caregivers from Allina Hospice.

A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 21 (visitation from 1-2 pm), at Unity Church-Unitarian, 733 Portland Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota. Arrangements by Bradshaw Funeral Home & Cremation Services. The service will be live-streamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Follow this link: https://youtu.be/DDHj5T-LXHI
Please see the Bradshaw website for details and for ongoing updates about COVID safety protocols.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity or the Life Raft Group (https://liferaftgroup.org), which supports research into GIST cancer, or please donate blood to the American Red Cross, to help Mike’s family “give back” for the many transfusions that kept him alive these past few precious years.

https://youtu.be/DDHj5T-LXHI