Michael Joseph Kroeger

Michael “Mike” Joseph Kroeger (77) passed away after a short battle with cancer on Monday, July 1st. He is survived by his wife, Miriam, and their four sons, Michael, Matt, Mark and Martin. Though his life was full of notable accomplishments, Mike’s pride and joy was his family which was constructed on the solid foundation he and Miriam built over 52 years of marriage and includes Michael, his wife, Ami, and their son, Jensen; Matt, his wife Kelly, and their children Carson and Quinn; Mark, his wife Mary, and their children Juliana and Jackson; and Martin, his wife Megan, and their children Cameron and Evie. 

The son of John W. and Dorothy E. Kroeger, Mike was born in Philadelphia, PA in May of 1947. He was the third of five children and is survived by all of his siblings: John, Carolyn Waldron, Kathryn Anderson, and Jim. From 1965 to 1971, Mike attended the University of Notre Dame and became a “Double Domer”: earning both his Bachelor’s (‘69) and his Master’s (‘71) degrees in Electrical Engineering while making many friendships that continue on to this day. Mike had a deep love for all things Notre Dame – especially Notre Dame football. Mike’s family and friends remember that he even reprogrammed his musical doorbell to ring with the Notre Dame fight song. It was at Notre Dame that Mike also met the love of his life, Miriam – then a student at St. Mary’s College (’70). They remained together through the remainder of his time at Notre Dame, her summer studies in Paris, and her post-graduate work at Temple University in Philadelphia as well. After graduating, Mike received his first employment offer from Goodyear Aerospace in Akron, OH and immediately sent a telegram to Miriam in Paris telling her to begin planning the wedding. They were wed on December 18th, 1971. While at Goodyear, he was intimately involved with the checkout and maintenance of the STARAN supercomputer. His expertise was so valued that he was required to have higher than Top Secret government clearance so that he could trouble-shoot problems at on-site facilities. Only after details about the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane were revealed to the public in 1982 was Mike able to proudly tell his family that his frequent business trips to Washington, DC and Rome, NY in the preceding years were so that he could continue to trouble shoot the processor for its high-altitude photo imaging.

 In 1978, Mike and Miriam moved from Akron to Phoenix, AZ with their two sons, 3 year-old Michael and 9 month old Matt. Mike had accepted a job with Sperry Corporation and through various mergers, acquisitions, and transitions grew through his entire career with the same employer. Before retiring from Honeywell in 2010, Mike was proud to have contributed significantly to the development of specialized display systems equipment for both military and business aircraft. He was proud of this work with the RTCA as Chairman of the Special Committee 135 which produced the DO-160 “E” and “F” documents from 1998-2010. He loved working with young engineers and giving them insight into the concepts that preceded their engineering experiences. 

Mike was a devout Catholic who was raised in the Church and brought his family up in the faith as well. He was deeply involved in ministry at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church for many years - managing the scheduling of lay liturgical ministers, including all four of his sons who were altar boys (though he, himself, never was!) and serving as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharistic. Mike continued his ministries while a parishioner at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and later at St. Theresa Catholic Church. He was also a dedicated platelet donor (over 300 donations) for United Blood Services/Vitalant.

 A true engineer by any measure, Mike loved to build things – a passion he passed on to all four of his DIY-loving sons. His home on 44th Avenue in Glendale could be seen from blocks away during the Christmas season thanks to the 8ft tall lighted stars and trees he built and installed at the peak of his highest roof. After retiring and moving with Miriam to the Arcadia Osborn neighborhood, Mike was excited to find a home with a detached workshop in which he would pass his love for building, model trains, and pinball down to all of his grandchildren.

Whether they called him Mike, or Dad, or Pop all who knew him were better for it. Mike was a joy to be around and lit up every room he entered. He loved a good party and his boisterous laugh ensured that every party he attended was a good one. His family and friends will miss him dearly and will hold his memory close to their hearts. They look forward to a brief time of grief followed by a lifetime of happiness and joyful memories. 

A Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of the Angels at The Franciscan Renewal Center (5802 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85253) on Friday July 26th at 10:00am. It will be followed by his inurnment at Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery (23015 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85024). The family asks that attendees wear bright and joyous colors to reflect Mike’s personality. We will then join all who knew him to celebrate Mike’s life at a reception after the ceremonies. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Mike’s memory by raising a glass with those that are closest to you, telling them that you love them, and making a donation to the charity of your choice.