Michael P. Panighetti

Michael P. Panighetti, age 72, of Erie passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, February 13th, 2026. He was born January 7th, 1954, in Pensacola, Florida. His father, a member of the United States Navy, was stationed there at the time. He is the son of Geno and Veronica (Skrzypek) Panighetti. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his first-born son, Anthony Panighetti.

Mike did not read the Gospel daily, did not attend mass weekly and certainly wasn't an eloquent speaker. He wasn't perfect as none of us are. But he understood the most important teaching of Jesus Christ. "The greatest among you must be your servant. All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted". Matthew 23:11-12. Mike exemplified what it meant to be a true warrior for the Kingdom because he gave of himself without hesitation until the last drop had been poured out. Jesus rewarded him for a life well lived by allowing him to close his eyes for a nap, hat and jacket still on, and open them up to greetings from Veronica and Geno.

Mike was the friend you called for help who you could hear getting off the couch or putting his coat on before he hung up, no questions asked. Whether you would or could ever return the favor never entered the equation. Mike was also the brother you knew would be there no matter how big or small your need and who would hand you his jacket in thirty below, even and especially if this meant he would perish but you would not. Mike was a man of incredibly high moral character. You wanted him in your corner in a fight, at your table in a social setting, and to hopefully be the one to drive by if you were stuck in the ditch. He never stopped pouring himself into others.

As a father, Mike understood kids spell love T-I-M-E. Going to camp was time with the kids and the guys, not just with the guys. He taught Justin, Michael, and Breanna that you get up at Christmas mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and go get more chairs from the gym, with him, when there wasn't enough. He taught them how sacred the position of coach is, and that it must never be used to benefit your son or daughter. He instilled in them that life was going to be hard, that challenges would never end, and that you would be judged not by whether you got knocked down but by whether and how you got back up. He exemplified the role a parent must take when kids become adults. He always stayed in his lane and never interjected unless he was asked. He was ready and willing to help with anything his adult children needed. Mike is the gold standard as a father and thankfully sets a near impossible standard for his children to follow.

It's often been said that grandkids are the reward for good parenting. Mike knew that and never missed an opportunity to be with them. He loved his grandkids, as much or more than his own children. Mike never missed a game. He would spend entire days going from one, to the other, to the next. He never stopped. He spent his retirement living for Little Michael, Luke, Ellie, Grant, Braden, Wyatt, Austin, and Maddie. He loved all of his grandchildren equally. They all knew when the chips were down, he would have their backs against any and all odds. He was their greatest cheerleader. That won't change now; he'll just do it from the best seat in the house.

Hunting was Mike's greatest passion outside of his friends and family. Probably more than anything as a hunter, he loved teaching and being with his son Michael. We're sure Mike can't wait to watch Michael pick up the torch when it comes to passing hunting on to the next generation. In the end, it was never about what Mike could shoot. It was always about what the kids could shoot. He let bucks men would kill for pass him by in the hopes they'd walk by a niece or nephew or Michael or Little Michael. He showed the most honest and overwhelming happiness when a young person got a buck. He didn't even have to know the kid to be overwhelmed with excitement. He represents the best of what a hunter can and should be.

Mike was also a big Miami Dolphins fan. Admittedly, he probably never got as invested as his oldest son Justin. But he didn't share hunting with Justin so even when he was tired or maybe didn't feel like watching a random game in the twenty fifth straight season without a playoff win, he always showed up. Not because he wanted to watch the game, but because he knew Justin wanted him to be there with him.

Mike's relationship with Breanna was softer than the one he had with Michael and Justin. He knew what she needed as his daughter was different than what his sons needed. He took her fishing and taught her how to hold a drill and fix a sink. But his relationship with her was never a place or an activity like it often was with the boys. It was about those conversations once a week after babysitting, or at Wyatt's game, or at good old Bob Evans where they could just talk and laugh about anything and everything knowing there was never any judgement of any kind. Mike was what a father should be to a daughter. He was and will remain, in a different way now, her rock to lean on in good times and bad.

Mike worked tirelessly to make sure not one of his children or grandchildren questioned, even for a second, whether he felt the sun rose and set on them.

Mike's professional accomplishments were saved for last because, quite frankly, they mean the least to him. He believed to his very core that you work to live you do not live to work. But that does not mean he was without accomplishments. He was a master electrician who worked for the Erie School District for over thirty-five years. He could trouble shoot issues within residential and commercial buildings at a genius level. He was a savant when it came to problem solving as an electrician. He never moved up into management at the Erie School District but that just fine by him. As the old county song so eloquently states, either you'll stand for something or you'll fall for anything. Mike was not one to bite his tongue when he thought it was his duty to say the unpopular thing which needed to be said. It's a blessing and a curse he passed on to his kids, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

Mike is survived by the mother of his children, his best friend, and lifelong partner, Carol Panighetti (Daugherty). Their relationship wasn't always conventional, but he would have laid his life down for hers until his last breath. That is the measure of a man. He is also survived by his son Justin and his wife Lisa (Trapp), his son Michael and his wife Amanda (Vinson), and his daughter Breanna Coughlin and her husband Nick. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Little Michael, Luke, Ellie, Grant, Braden, Wyatt, Austin, and Maddie. He is survived by his siblings, Rich (Bonnie), Karen (Eugene Krahe – also a brother to him), Dan (Karen) (whom he was especially close with and whom he loved and cared for until his last day), and Viki (Rick) (Hedderick). And of course, his non biological brother, Tom Krahe of Medina, Ohio. He is also Uncle to many nieces and nephews, especially Mike Krahe, who more or less grew up in his home with Justin and Michael.

Friends are invited to call on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 pm at the Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory, Pine Avenue Branch, 845 East 38th Street. A service will be held there on Friday at 9:30 am followed by a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel R.C. Church at 10 am. Burial will be in Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery.