Mike Kirby passed away on Wednesday, January 13th, holding the hands of his beloved wife Lori (née Rott) and daughter Mallory. The son of the late William and Phyllis (née Lutzke) Kirby, Mike was born on November 26, 1953.
Mike and his family, which also includes his sister, Debbie (Ed Rivet), traveled a lot during his childhood, eventually settling in Manitowoc. Growing up, he enjoyed frequent trips to visit his extended family in St. Joseph, Michigan. Laughter abounded whenever Mike got together with his Kirby cousins, and Jo Ann Ingraham, in particular, had a close bond with Mike. In 1972, Mike graduated from Lincoln High School and proudly served in the Navy as a sonar technician, before returning home and beginning his career with the United States Postal Service. In 1983, Mike and Lori married.
Mike and Lori worked hard to build a happy, comfortable home for themselves. Mike was the Norm Abram to Lori’s Bob Vila as they tackled many DIY projects. They were particularly blessed with wonderful neighbors, including Aggie Dickey, who has been like a surrogate mother to Mike and grandmother to Mallory.
There’s nothing Mike wouldn’t do for those he loved. As anyone who ever attended a Lincoln girls’ soccer game in the early 2000s can attest, Mike was the team’s biggest fan. There was no distance too far to keep him from cheering on Mallory and her teammates. Mike was a wonderful father and instilled in Mallory the importance of hard work, generosity, and giving. He also taught her to love Billy Joel and swear like a sailor, because balance is important.
In 2013, the tight-knit Kirby family expanded when Mallory married Mark Dufek. Mike loved Mark as if he were his own son. The two shared a love for Wisconsin sports, and enjoyed many Brewers’ games together. Mike’s life was made infinitely better with the birth of his grandsons, William and Abram Dufek. He loved those boys with abandon and would drop everything to care for them when they were sick, read a story to them, or watch Paw Patrol. Although their time together was cut far too short, Will and Abe were incredibly lucky to have had such a wonderful Grampy.
Mike could be a very stubborn man, but this was most often demonstrated in his insistence on doing something kind, like refusing to let you pay the check at dinner or insisting he drive for the majority of a road trip, allowing his companions to read magazines or nap.
In addition to his immediate family, Mike is survived by his mother-in-law, Donna Rott, and his sister Debbie (Ed) Rivet, niece Tori, and great-niece Ava. Mike’s best friend, Michael Larson married his sister-in-law, Wendy, and Mike loved their daughters—Rachael (Tom) Woznick, Heather (Jason) Noworatzky, and Brooke (Tyler) Brefcyznski—like they were his own. He adored Rachael, Heather, and Brooke’s children—Easton Noworatzky, Hazel and Eddie Woznick, and Grace and Griffin Brefczynski. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Rick (Gloria) Rott. Mike will be dearly missed by his one-eared dog Olive and his granddog, Bernie, who loved him more than any other person on this planet. Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his father-in-law, Eddie Rott, with whom he shared a wonderful relationship.
The Kirby-Dufek family would like to thank the number of thoughtful and caring healthcare professionals who helped Mike deal with the aggressive cancer that took him from us much too soon. When it became clear that the balance of Mike’s life would be spent in the comfort of his home, the wonderful hospice team at Home Care Health helped Mike and his family immensely. In particular, we’d like to thank Nikki Renteria, who gracefully guided and supported our family through this difficult time. We will be forever grateful for the time we had together at home.
Mike’s mother passed away at a young age from complications related to juvenile diabetes. As such, this cause was always near and dear to Mike’s heart. If you would like to honor his memory, his family suggests you consider donating to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund.
In lieu of a service, Mike’s family is planning a celebration of life party for later this year.
The Pfeffer Funeral Home, Manitowoc, is assisting the Kirby family with funeral arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.pfefferfuneralhome.com.
