Michael "Mike" Palaggi

Michael "Mike" Palaggi, 70, of Robinson, IL, passed away on September 24, 2025, at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. Mike's story began in Chicago on January 16, 1955. He grew up in the bustle of the Chicagoland area, one of many in a big family where loyalty and love were simply part of life. From the very beginning, family was at the center of who he was, and it's no surprise that, even as a boy, he already knew who he would build his life with. At 11 years old, he spotted Janet Lee Murray across the neighborhood. She was only 8, but something in both of them knew. As teenagers, their bond only deepened, and Mike put his heart into words on paper. Janet still has the love letters he wrote her back then, each one signed "Shorty" to his beloved "Dimples." Years later, on August 26, 1975, the two married, and together, they built the kind of home they had once only imagined: a home that became the center of their family, a gathering place where everyone belonged and everyone knew they were loved.

After graduating from Thornton Township High School in Harvey, IL, Mike went to work. For a time, he was a firefighter in Dalton, but Janet, never blind to the risk, saw what that life could cost, and together, they decided to close that chapter of his career. He later worked at Federal Signal before eventually moving to Robinson in 1996. There, he found steady work at Fair Rite until its closure, and later at North American Lighting in Paris, where he spent more than a decade before retiring in 2023. Wherever he worked, he earned not only respect but friendship, because Mike had a way of drawing people in.

After all, to know Mike was to love him. He was funny without even trying: sometimes with his wit, sometimes just with the way he spoke. He never "washed" anything; he "warshed" it. "Alex" always came out as "Elex." He was a character in the best sense of the word, the kind of man who made even a routine trip to Wal-Mart stretch out an extra hour because he knew everyone and stopped to talk to them all. It should come as no surprise that he was endlessly generous. If you needed something, Mike was the one who would help, no questions asked, even if it meant giving you the shirt off his back. That same selflessness showed up in his final days, when he was more concerned about the needs of his family than about his own.

Mike had a restless energy that kept him busy and made him a true do-it-yourselfer. If something could be fixed, built, or tinkered with, he'd rather figure it out himself than hire someone else. He loved the outdoors, whether casting a line into a quiet pond, hunting deer or squirrel, or heading out just to shoot. And when he was indoors, he was just as active...though in a different way. He was a gamer, often on his Xbox with his brother, his son-in-law, or anyone in the family who wanted to play Call of Duty or Rainbow Six. For him, gaming wasn't just a hobby; it was a way of staying connected, of keeping conversation going across miles.

His hobbies stretched just as wide. He was a die-hard NASCAR fan, fiercely loyal to Jeff Gordon, which made for a good-natured rivalry with Janet, who rooted just as hard for Tony Stewart. He loved both Star Wars and Star Trek (though the older Trek series always held a special place in his heart), and never tired of classic shows like MacGyver. But for all those interests, the greatest joy in his life was being "Pop Pop." Nothing lit him up more than his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He taught them how to fish, spoiled them endlessly, and let them discover that whatever happened at Grandma and Grandpa's house stayed there!

Every name, every story, every laugh shared with Mike is part of the legacy he leaves behind. His life was rich, not because of what he owned or achieved, but because of the people he loved, a love that will live on for as long as we have the breath to speak his name.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; his daughter & son-in-law, Jennifer & Joe Covey; his son, Ryan Palaggi; his grandchildren, Haleigh, Austin & Erin, Alannis & Bri, Alex, and Avril; his great-grandchildren, Violet and Vincent; his mother, Hilda Palaggi; his siblings & their spouses, Patricia & David Heniff, James & Hope Palaggi, Anthony & Billie Jo Palaggi, Jerome Palaggi, Mary & Joseph Mullin, and Patrick Palaggi; his sister-in-law, Beth Hollings; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, John Palaggi, Sr.; his mother, Cora Louise (Beach) Palaggi; his sister, Kathleen Toth; his brother, John Palaggi, Jr.; his son, Mitchell Palaggi; and his grandson, Anthony.

A time of visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A celebration of his life will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home, with family and friends invited to share memories of his life. For those unable to attend, a live stream of the service will be available at https://www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream