Michael James Rafalski, 70, of Spooner, WI, passed away on April 9, 2024 after a valiant battle with cancer.

Mike was born on June 8, 1953 to Edmund and Esther (nee Lesczynski) Rafalski in Hammond, IN. After graduating from Thornton Fractional North High School in 1971, Mike joined the Air Force and served four years in the South East Asian theater of the Vietnam War.

On February 2, 1982, Mike met Karen, and they wed in 1986.

After moving to Spooner from Chicago in 1988, Mike went to work for Stresau Laboratories as an Assembler, then Research and Development Technician, then Test Site Manager. He worked there for 30 years, retiring in 2018.

Mike was quite the avid outdoorsman. If he wasn’t hunting or fishing, he was watching it on TV. If he wasn’t watching that, he watched sports. His favorite teams were the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, and whoever was playing the Green Bay Packers.   Following his retirement, Mike spent a lot of time growing flowers from seeds, planting vegetables, and feeding the birds.

Mike is survived by his wife Karen; his brother Ed; his sisters Cathy and Arlene; his sister-in-law Annette Kukla; his 3 children Thomas (Lisa) Stephanites, Carrie (Robert) Larson, Kim (David Scanlon) Stephanites; his 9 grandchildren, Michael (Kooch), Haleigh, Michael, Abigail, Hope, TJ, Mikayla, Anthony, and Wyatt; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mike was preceded in death by his mother and father; his mother-in-law Rita Kukla; Aunt Colette “No-No;” and his brother-in-law Patrick Kukla.

A visitation will be held at the Spooner Funeral Home on Monday, April 15, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A funeral service will be held at the Spooner Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 11:00 AM with a visitation a half hour prior. An interment will follow the service at the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to either the Washburn Humane Society, or Tunnels to Towers.

Last Update: Apr 12, 2024 2:12 pm CDT