Michael David Luukkonen

Michael David Luukkonen

Michael David ("Yardo") Luukkonen, 69, of Cotton, passed away suddenly in his home on November 30,2025.

Mike was born on March 14, 1956, in Virginia, Minn., to Everett and Mildred (Tomljenovich) Luukkonen. He married the love of his life, Lori Jeane Griffin Luukkonen in Duluth on August 18,1984, and they welcomed their son Spencer Michael in 1991.

They made their home in Zim, Minn., before moving permanently to their happy place at East Bass Lake in 2017.

Mike graduated from Cherry High School in 1974, where he excelled in baseball and made many lifelong friends who were very important to him. He lived in Zim for most of his life but worked in both Alaska and Colorado.

Mike was a hard worker starting at an early age, working numerous construction jobs and working for ABI Contracting and Table Mountain Quarries (TMQ) of Colorado Springs prior to starting NTT of Minnesota (standing for Nothing's Too Tough) with his brother John and four other associates in 1987. In 1991, Mike and John took over the company and continued for more than 30 years until selling it in 2017.

As an owner/operator, Mike was a proud member of Operating Engineers Local #49 for 46 years.

Mike was generous with his time and enjoyed coaching Spencer and his buddies from T-ball through Little League.

Many people will remember the cool barbeque grill, the brainchild of Mike and his brother John and company. It was used at a variety of events, most notably the Local #49 summer picnics, where Mike took pride in cooking for members and friends at numerous picnics.

He even trailered it down to Wisconsin for our dear friends' Bocci ball tournament one year.

Mike was diagnosed with a rare muscle disease nine years ago called sIBM (sporadic inclusion body myositis), and many of the symptoms mocked ALS.

Anyone who knew Mike would tell you that he took on the challenges of his disease like a champion. He maintained a positive attitude, had a dry sense of humor and utilized his engineering-like mind to create a handicapped accessible home and environment to make his life better and to make it easier for Lori. He even worked with Misty Harbor to create a special handicapped accessible pontoon with a ramp and other amenities.

He was an inspiration to many and a force to be reckoned with.

As a dear friend put it, they just don't make Mike Luukkonens anymore. Everyone was rootin' for Mike: his doctors, his friends, his family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Everett Luukkonen; his other father, Edwin Luukkonen; his stepbrothers, Rodney, Gary and Jim Luukkonen, and other beloved family members.

He is survived by his wife, Lori; son, Spencer (Liz French), Eveleth; mother, Millie Luukkonen Zim; his brother, E. John Luukkonen (Patrice), Zim; his sister, MaryAnn Malovrh (Chuck) of Rockport, Massachusetts; his sister, Jean Torma (Sam) of Lebanon, Tennessee; his step brother, Dan (Kathy) Luukkonen of Phoenix, Arizona; his stepsister, Debbie (Jim) Hancock, of Gilbert; his brother-in-law, Kevin (Anne) Griffin of Mounds View, many special nieces and nephews, cousins, extended family, and many dear friends who helped make Mike's last years so enjoyable, including his Bass Laker friends and his Norway Ridge hole-in-the-floor deer camp buddies.

Many thanks to the Ellsburg Fire Department, local EMTs, and the Virginia, Meadowlands and Floodwood ambulance crews. So grateful.

Mike will live on in our minds forever, always loved and always missed.

A celebration of life will be held at the lake place this summer.

Arrangements were entrusted to Cron-Sheehy Funeral Home, Eveleth. www.cron-sheehy.com