Mike Simonson

Mike Simonson, age 73, a resident of Highlands Ranch, CO went home to be with the Lord on his birthday, March 4, 2020.  He was a man of family and faith and will be best remember by the relationships he built with the people he met in his colorful life.

Memorial services will  be held Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 1:00 PM at Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo. Rev. Robert Knutson will officiate, and burial will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Montevideo. Social distancing will be observed and masks are encouraged.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the funeral home.

Memorials in Mike’s memory can be made to the Montevideo High School Athletic Scholarship Fund.

Michael Peter Simonson was born on March 4th, 1947 in Montevideo, MN to Melford Irvin “Murph” Simonson and Ruth Elaine Norby Simonson.  He was baptized on April 4th 1947 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo and confirmed on May 20th, 1962.  He attended Ramsey Elementary School and Central High School where he graduated in 1965 which was the largest class ever to graduate from Montevideo.

While a Mohawk he was a standout athlete in football where he achieved All conference Honors, MVP Honors, All State Honors and was a Floyd Arnold award recipient.  Mike received a football scholarship at Gustavus Adolphus College where he majored in Business Administration.  While at Gustavus, he played football his first year and was a Tau Psi Omega fraternity social chairman.

He had a remarkable wit and had an incredible knack for remembering names and stories.  He never met a stranger and had lasting relationships throughout the U.S..

He began his professional career with Honeywell in Minneapolis, MN and then to Litton Industries in their microwave oven division development. From there he moved to San Francisco to be part owner of a commercial foodservice equipment distributorship in Sausalito, CA.

Mike then joined the Nieco Corporation of Burlingame, CA that manufactured chained driven broilers for Burger King, Carl’s Jr. to name a few. He traveled with his territory in the western United States and Asia.  He moved to Seattle with his wife Kathy and was employed by MCI Telecommunications where he was director of National Accounts that included Microsoft, Boeing, Nordstrom’s and Westin Hotels.  When MCI was sold to Worldcom telecommunications he moved onto Natural Microsystems as a regional manager.  His later years he moved to Colorado and worked part time for a company called Financial Media Group in Englewood, CO.

He was a big fan of the 49ers during their super bowl years and of the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, at heart he was still a Vikings and Twins fan that tested his patience He enjoyed being at the lake in Lake Chelan near Wenatchee, WA and trips to the lake in northern Minnesota where he cherished spending time with family, friends, nieces and nephews.  He loved to fish and play golf, especially playing golf at Silverado Country Club in Napa, CA with his brother Steve.  He loved coaching-in West Seattle he coached a youth basketball team in the area called Highpoint -a low income projects area.  He was proud of teaching and coaching that team to a championship.  He was a member of the Cherry Hills community Church in Highland Ranch, CO.

He is survived by his brothers: Steve (Natasha) Simonson of Littleton, Colorado and Mark Simonson of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; nieces and nephews- Graham (Sarah) Schweer of Lawrenceville, NJ, Erika Schweer, of Redondo Beach, CA, Melissa (Steve) Jackson of Menlo Park , CA, Kelly (Ben) Kovacs of Palo Alto, CA, Stefan Simonson of Austin, TX, Peter, Natalia and Luka of Littleton, CO;  and former wife and dear friend Kathy Salmon of Redmond, WA and a host of other relatives and many friends.  He will be dearly missed by his aunts Janice (Ken) Olsen of Montevideo, MN and Blanche Jordahl of Dawson, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Terri and her husband Craig Schweer of Montevideo, cousins Brad Olsen of San Antonio, TX and Diane Dokkenbocken of Fergus Falls, MN

Blessed be his memory

John 13:34, 35

“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now-love each other just as much as I love you.  Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”