MANS, Michael J., age 62

Died: Monday, June 23rd, 2025

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at St. Stephen's Catholic Church, 525 Jackson Street, Anoka, MN 55303

Visitation: 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at church on Wednesday

Interment and Military Honors: Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday, July 7, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be given to
FirstHealth's Cancer Care Fund or Hospice Foundation
www.firsthealth.org
or mail: FirstHealth, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374 

Michael "Mike" J. Mans, age 62, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, died on Monday, June 23, 2025, with Barb by his side at FirstHealth Hospice House in North Carolina, following a short but tough battle with cancer. 

Mike was born December 4, 1962, to Richard and Mary (LeFor) Mans in New Prague, Minnesota. Mike grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, where he attended and graduated from high school in 1981. On October 27, 1984, he was married to Barbara "Barb" A. Roseland at St. Stephen's Catholic Church. Last year, they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Mike loved being active. He was on the high school swim team, loved both water and snow skiing, and ran many marathons in amazing places like Disney World, Florida; Berlin, Germany; Paris, France; and Leiden, the Netherlands. He even ran a "personal" marathon during one of his deployments inside their compound, where some of his soldier buddies joined him for parts of it.

He was an avid Green Bay Packers fan. Mike also had a passion for cruising, and he and Barb enjoyed many cruises together over the years. Mike loved to build things. He built two homes for his family and was looking forward to spending time in the workshop he designed and finished in their Pinehurst home.

Mike worked in various jobs over the years, starting in the food service industry during high school, then later transitioning into management, construction, landscaping, a delivery courier service (Quick Silver), sales, and the Director of Transportation at a high school. A lot of those jobs were while he was also serving in the Mn National Guard. Overall, he embarked on a 37-year career in the military, both as an Army soldier and as a civilian working for The Department of the Army.

In 1987, Mike joined the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) while attending the University of Minnesota, where he graduated as a 2nd lieutenant and also joined a National Guard unit. In 2003, his Guard unit deployed to Bosnia, and in 2004, Mike went on a second deployment to Kosovo. Shortly after returning home, in 2005 Mike was hired by MICEP (Military Intelligence Civilian Excepted Career Program) and was assigned to the 650th Military Intelligence (MI) Detachment in The Hague, Netherlands, where he and his family spent four years. In 2009, they moved to Mons, Belgium, to work at SHAPE (NATO), with the 650th MI Group/ACCI, where he was promoted to GG-14 and served as the Chief of Investigation. During his time in the Netherlands and Belgium, he also had another deployment to Kosovo and four deployments to Afghanistan. In 2016, the family moved stateside to Stafford, Virginia, where Mike was assigned to U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), splitting his time between INSCOM and the FBI as a liaison officer in the Chinese espionage section. In 2019, Mike earned his dream job, which took him back to SHAPE Belgium as the Senior Civilian/Director of Operations at ACCI/650th MI. On December 31, 2024, Mike retired after a 37-year career with the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Officer and as an Army civilian. Barb and Mike bought a home in Pinehurst, North Carolina, to enjoy their retirement.

Throughout his 37 years with the military, both in uniform and as a civilian, he and Barb and their family enjoyed traveling throughout Europe. They had amazing vacations to Normandy and Paris, France; to many cities in Italy and Germany; and holidays to Greece, Denmark, Spain, and more. Every place was special, and they were blessed to see so much of Europe.

Even though his military career took him away from home many times, family was always the joy of his life. From his loving wife, Barb, and their five sons, to becoming "Pops" to their seven grandchildren (three girls and four boys), along with their three beautiful daughters-in-law, who have added so much joy to their growing family. His passion for life and his love of family and friends will live on through all who had the great opportunity to know him. 

Mike is survived by his loving wife of 40 years Barb; sons Zachary (Brandi), Andrew "AJ" (Samantha), Sam (Emarie), Logan (fiancée Maddie), and Garrett; grandchildren Maryanne, Rebekah, Reagan, Jeremiah, Jaxton, James, and Beauregard; parents Dick and Mary; sisters Sue (Jeff) Jones and Lynne (Mark) Peterson; nieces and nephews Elizabeth (Eric) Winkelman, Jennifer Jones, and Hannah and Ryan Peterson; and many other relatives and countless friends from around the globe.