Michael D. DeMint

Michael D. DeMint, 58, passed away in WFH-All Saints on Monday, May 23, 2011. He was born in Racine on July 15, 1952 the son of Gilbert and Ruth (nee: Peyton) De Mint

Michael served his country during the Gulf War with the United States Marine Corps. On March 9, 1989, in Santa Ana, CA, he was united in marriage to the former Nelida Lotoc. He was a truck driver, last driving for Combined Transport.

Surviving are his wife, Nellie; their children, Gilbert DeMint, Lian DeMint, and Daniel DeMint, all at home; parents, Gilbert and Ruth DeMint; 3 brothers Thomas DeMint, Stephen (Sawyer) DeMint, and James DeMint; 2 sisters, Colleen Kochel, all of Racine, and Donna (Bill) Robnett, of Missoula, MT. His nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends further survive him.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Lucy Catholic Church, 3101 Drexel Ave., on Tuesday, May 31st at 7:00 p.m. with Rev. Sean Granger officiating. Visitation will be in the church on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. until the time of the Mass. Burial, with full military honors, will be in the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Union Grove, on Wednesday June 1st at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to the family to establish a living memorial at a later date.

Colleen Kochel and family says

November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

Family are the few people in life that you don’t get to choose. God puts you with them because you have something to teach each other. Mike would be the first to agree that he was not a superhuman, he was not a saint. Mike was an enigma. He was a very private person and he didn’t share his feelings with just anybody. But he was very passionate about the things that were important to him, and there are many things that we can learn from Mike’s life and how he lived. Mike was in the Marine Corps. He served his country in the Gulf War and was fiercely patriotic his entire life. He would be the first to tell you that we are blessed to live in this country, and not to take it or the sacrifices of our soldiers for granted. They say “once a marine, always a marine.” As many of you know, the motto of the US Marine Corps is “Semper Fidelis,” or Semper Fi, which is Latin for “always faithful.” This mindframe imbued every aspect of Mike, and especially the important things in his life. Mike appreciated simplicity and always knew what was important to him. I think he was ahead of most of us in knowing that there are more essential things in life than constantly being busy, and that slowing down is a gift you give yourself and your family. Family was everything to Mike. He was married over twenty years to Nellie and helped raise three beautiful children. Everything he did, he did for his family, even if it was a personal sacrifice to him. As many of you know, Mike was a trucker for the last decade or so of his life. He gave up a lot of time with them in order to support them, but that was Mike. He put his family first. And he found ways of making it up. When he was home, Mike would stay up all night talking with his kids. When he was on the road, he spent hours on the phone talking with them and Nellie. For being gone, Mike was not an absentee parent. Many people didn’t completely understand why Mike wanted Nellie and his kids to move to the Philippines for a few years. It was another sacrifice that Mike made so that his children could experience their mother’s culture and heritage. He appreciated that life could be simpler than we tend to make it, that we can slow down and make time for small pleasures, and he wanted them to learn that. And many of you know that Mike could slow down really slow when he wanted to. Mike worked by his own clock and danced to the beat of his own drum; he was the last to arrive and the last to leave a get-together. Mike valued honesty. He loved to banter, and talking to Mike could be frustrating because he was relentless and always true to his beliefs and values. But he was never anyone but Mike. He never let anyone else’s opinions influence what he did, while accepting that there were things he could not change. Mike accepted his sickness and all that it brought him with courage and strength. I never once heard him complain or feel sorry for himself. He always said its ok, it’ll be alright. Mike was a big brother to all of us. He died with integrity and he showed us all how to accept the things we cannot change with grace. Mike may not have gone to church every week, but he had his faith and he was always faithful to the important people and values in his life. If we could all take something from Mike’s life, we should take that. God Bless you Michael. We are all grateful to have known and loved you. Never give up, never give in, Semper Fi.

Guestbook Entries

Chuck & Paula DuMars says

November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

Nelli & Family, We were so sorry to hear of Mikes passing. He faced his death with courage and honor just like he served his country. Our God will give you special Grace and Mercy during this very difficult time. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Colleen Kochel and family says

November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

Family are the few people in life that you don’t get to choose. God puts you with them because you have something to teach each other. Mike would be the first to agree that he was not a superhuman, he was not a saint. Mike was an enigma. He was a very private person and he didn’t share his feelings with just anybody. But he was very passionate about the things that were important to him, and there are many things that we can learn from Mike’s life and how he lived. Mike was in the Marine Corps. He served his country in the Gulf War and was fiercely patriotic his entire life. He would be the first to tell you that we are blessed to live in this country, and not to take it or the sacrifices of our soldiers for granted. They say “once a marine, always a marine.” As many of you know, the motto of the US Marine Corps is “Semper Fidelis,” or Semper Fi, which is Latin for “always faithful.” This mindframe imbued every aspect of Mike, and especially the important things in his life. Mike appreciated simplicity and always knew what was important to him. I think he was ahead of most of us in knowing that there are more essential things in life than constantly being busy, and that slowing down is a gift you give yourself and your family. Family was everything to Mike. He was married over twenty years to Nellie and helped raise three beautiful children. Everything he did, he did for his family, even if it was a personal sacrifice to him. As many of you know, Mike was a trucker for the last decade or so of his life. He gave up a lot of time with them in order to support them, but that was Mike. He put his family first. And he found ways of making it up. When he was home, Mike would stay up all night talking with his kids. When he was on the road, he spent hours on the phone talking with them and Nellie. For being gone, Mike was not an absentee parent. Many people didn’t completely understand why Mike wanted Nellie and his kids to move to the Philippines for a few years. It was another sacrifice that Mike made so that his children could experience their mother’s culture and heritage. He appreciated that life could be simpler than we tend to make it, that we can slow down and make time for small pleasures, and he wanted them to learn that. And many of you know that Mike could slow down really slow when he wanted to. Mike worked by his own clock and danced to the beat of his own drum; he was the last to arrive and the last to leave a get-together. Mike valued honesty. He loved to banter, and talking to Mike could be frustrating because he was relentless and always true to his beliefs and values. But he was never anyone but Mike. He never let anyone else’s opinions influence what he did, while accepting that there were things he could not change. Mike accepted his sickness and all that it brought him with courage and strength. I never once heard him complain or feel sorry for himself. He always said its ok, it’ll be alright. Mike was a big brother to all of us. He died with integrity and he showed us all how to accept the things we cannot change with grace. Mike may not have gone to church every week, but he had his faith and he was always faithful to the important people and values in his life. If we could all take something from Mike’s life, we should take that. God Bless you Michael. We are all grateful to have known and loved you. Never give up, never give in, Semper Fi.

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