Michael J. Gustafson

Michael J. Gustafson died at home on August 6, 2026. Mike was born to Delores (Snyder) Gustafson and John M. Gustafson Jr. on June 29, 1957 in Onamia, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife, Nancy (LeBeau) Gustafson, his daughters Katrina Finley (James) of Minneapolis and Britta Larson (Tyler) of Mahtowa, his son Nils Gustafson (Shannon) of Elizabeth City, NC; grandchildren Harper, Sophie, Jack and Callen Larson; sister Julie Canterbury (Russ) and brother Gregg Gustafson (Anna) of Arizona. He is preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, Violet and Ralph Snyder of Isle, and John and Bertha Gustafson of Hibbing, his brother-in-law Michael Rocque, and niece Deanna Hatfield Hunt.

Mike grew up in Isle, Minnesota spending much of his time in the hardware and drug stores his family owned. After graduating from Isle High School in 1975, Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications at St. Cloud State University. While in college he was an on air personality at WVAL in St. Cloud, and KFMU in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Mike was a columnist with the Mille Lacs Messenger, worked in corporate communications at First Interstate (Wells Fargo) Bank and then Mountain Bell Telephone Company in Phoenix, and in corporate and investor relations for Thermo Electron Corporation in Boston and Glenrose Instruments in Fort Worth. Mike especially took pleasure in time spent on Wall Street and the people he had the opportunity to meet — astronaut Frank Borman, recording artist Chick Corea, comic actor Fred Willard and many others (most were shorter in person than he thought they would be). Mike enjoyed exploring, from the desert and mountains of Arizona to the Atlantic coast in New England. “See America first” was his motto. Alaska and Oregon are the only states he did not visit.

Mike and Nancy were married August 23, 1986 in Nancy’s hometown of Pittsfield, MA. They lived in Arizona, Massachusetts and Texas. In 2001, Mike and Nancy bought a small farm in East Side Township where they raised their family. He spent his time on the farm, and on his Kubota tractor, rehabilitating the home, barn and property, and plotting “Daddy’s Half-a$$ed Revolution.”  Soon there was a new garage, an addition to the house, a small blueberry operation, several fruit trees, a collie (Mandy), two cats (Kitty and Tommy), three chickens (Big, Middle and Chica), two ducks (Benny and Puddles), and two summer residents, sandhill cranes (Willy and Chilly). He worked seasonally at Father Hennepin State Park for several years.

His life advice was Standard Firefighting Rule #6: Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Lung Association at http://www.lung.org. To leave a message of condolence, please visit:  www.srtfuneral.com.  Arrangements are with Sorenson-Root-Thompson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Aitkin.

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