Michael McTigue

Michael Joseph McTigue, age 83, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 06, 2025. Born on March 31, 1941, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Michael was the son of Dennis E. and Elizabeth (Betty) McTigue. Injured at birth, Michael lived with an intellectual disability that determined the trajectory of his life. His loving parents sought the best opportunities for him in the early years of “special education”. After attending Butler elementary school in Ft Dodge, Michael was enrolled in the Institute of Logopedics (now Heartspring) in Wichita, Kansas, where he refined his ability to speak, read and write. Betty and his two younger brothers lived there with him for two years and Dennis drove to Wichita to be with them on the weekends. Later, they enrolled Michael at St. Coletta of Wisconsin in Jefferson, Wisconsin, an organization founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, dedicated to providing education and vocational support to persons with developmental disabilities. Upon the completion of his formal education there, Michael continued his residence and work activities at St. Coletta. He was highly valued for his congenial personality, responsibility and strong work ethic. He returned to his home in Ft. Dodge for the holidays and summer breaks. Michael lived a full and happy life as a resident of Jefferson. He was a devout Catholic and had great faith. He attended daily Mass as long as he was able and after that, he watched the Mass on television every day with his St. Joseph's Daily Missal in his hands. He had great independence at St. Coletta and made many friends in the Jefferson community as well as at St. Coletta. Indeed, he sent and received almost 100 cards every Christmas! He was a loyal fan of first, the Milwaukee Braves and then the Brewers, as well as the Bucks. He had a great sense of humor, could be a bit of a prankster and loved to banter about family, politics and sports. He enjoyed music, being with people and was a season ticket holder at the Performing Arts Center in Jefferson. His memory was amazing, and he would astound his family and friends by always remembering their birthdays. Keenly interested in the news, he read the daily and Sunday newspapers and watched “Face the Nation” on television every Sunday. Michael was very interested in politics, particularly from the Democratic perspective. He often visited the nation's capital and once had the opportunity to attend the funeral of Gerald Ford where he was escorted to his place by the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate. He visited the Library of Congress and was issued a Library of Congress Identification Card, an I.D. which he used for his many airplane flights to his brothers' homes.