Michael Jay Hove

Michael Jay Hove, "Mike", age 33, member of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, journeyed to the Spirit World on Friday, December 5, 2025.
On June 23, 1992, the world was given one of its gentlest souls - Michael Jay Hove, known to the people who loved him most simply as Mikey.
To know Mikey was to know kindness, loyalty, and a heart that was soft in all the best ways. He looked tough on the outside, but everyone who truly knew him understood: he was a marshmallow. A protector. Someone who loved deeply and fiercely.
Mikey lived his life with an energy that pulled people in. He loved anything fast, fun, and full of adrenaline - jet skis, wave runners, four wheelers, cars - anything that could make him smile and feel free. If it had an engine, Mikey could drive it. And if it went fast, he was happiest on it. He wasn't just riding-he was living.
But as big as his love for adventure was, it was nothing compared to his love for family.
He was protective in the quiet way - the way that shows up every day without being asked. He watched over his mom. He took care of his family the way a good man does, without needing recognition, without hesitation. He loved his dad deeply and carried that love with pride.
And with his sister - the bond was unbreakable. They talked every single day. He was there for her in every moment, even the ones that were hard or scary. When she was in labor, he was right there, loving her, supporting her, steadying her. That's who he was: dependable, present, the kind of brother everyone wishes they had.
Our favorite memories say so much about him - not any big event or fancy moment, but the simple joy of hanging out together. kids, racing around in the rain, laughing, being wild and free. The kind of memories that stay in your heart forever.
Mikey lived his life with heart.
He loved hard. He showed up. He protected the people who mattered.
He had fun. He laughed. He found joy in speed, music, and adventure.
And above everything, he loved his family - with all of himself.
Today, we say goodbye to Mikey's physical presence, but we do not say goodbye to him.
The love he gave, the memories he built, the laughter he brought, and the way he took care of everyone - those parts of him stay. They live on in every story, every smile, every moment he shaped.
He was a brother, a son, an uncle, a friend.
He was your daily person - the one you talked to, leaned on, laughed with.
And he will always be with us in every wave on the water, in every storm that brings the rain,and in every quiet moment when you feel his presence.
This is the story of Mikey's life - a life lived with love, loyalty, and a gentle heart that touched everyone around him.
He will be missed.
He will be remembered.
And he will always be loved.
Survivors include his mother, Kathleen Waters; father, Jay Hove; sister, Lily Hove (Brandon Garzon); brother, Chaz (Jamie) Mankowski; nephews, Jay Thomas and Knox William Mankowski, and baby Zayne Japhet Garzon-Hove; grandparents, Patricia Prescott-McKenzie, and Donald Waters; aunt, Tina (Bob) Heinrich; cousins, Starr (Devin) Hayes and Krystal Heinrich; aunts and uncles, Lori Waters, John Waters, Tim Waters, Chad Wewasson, Brandy Wewasson, and Shana Wewasson. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Richard McKenzie, Myron Hove, and Marylee R. Waters; aunt, Karen Waters; uncle, Mark Waters; and great-grandparents, Herbert Prescott and Rose B. Ross.
Traditional All Night Wake will begin at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Tiowakan Spiritual Center, 14625 Prairiegrass Drive NW, Prior Lake, MN. Memorial Service Wednesday, December 10, at 11:00 AM. Interment Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Cemetery. Luncheon will follow.