MADISON - Michael Thomas Kuchenbecker passed away at University Hospital on October 5, 2024, after a battle with colon cancer.

Mike was born on 1/17/1991 one of the 5 percent of babies born on their due date. He wasn’t always so punctual after that. Mike was an athlete almost from day one attending his first soccer game at a week old, dribbling a soccer ball along sidelines as a toddler, and getting his first technical at his brother’s basketball game when he was two. That same referee gave Mike his first foul at one of his own basketball games about 6 years later. During his youth, football was Mike’s passion playing for the Youth Spartans and then the JMM Spartans and of course being a lifelong Packer fan. In addition to football, Mike played baseball at Memorial. After school, Mike became an avid golfer, fitness fanatic, and hiker continuing right up to his admission to the hospital. A couple of Mike’s proudest athletic achievements were completing the Chicago Half Marathon twice and climbing Mt. Rainier.

Mike was well known for his ubiquitous water bottle, his love for Batman in every form, graphic novels, and Lego. He was a fan of Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, James Bond movies, and music across many genres. Mike also had a good singing voice which he did share often enough.

Mike had a great sense of humor but often teased his father for his “dad jokes” but then learned to cut his dad some slack when Mike started to tell the occasional dad joke.

One thing that stood out about Mike above everything else was how much he cared about and loved his friends and family. During his illness, he was often more worried about how his illness was impacting them than himself particularly towards the end. Mike’s biggest regret but also relief was that he never married or had children explaining that dying was hard enough without leaving behind a wife and children. Over the years Mike had many four legged friends but Koda and Bailey were his most well loved.

Mike decided to do what he never thought he would and that’s to become an accountant. Mike went back to school and had been looking forward to joining his dad and brother at Meicher CPAs this month.

Mike is survived by his parents, Jeff Kuchenbecker and Char Braun; brother, Chris Kuchenbecker (Katie Daniel); nieces, Danelle (Dani) Kuchenbecker, and Amelia and Lucy Daniel; aunts, Brenda (Tom) Moczinski, Kathy Tetzlaff, Sharon Gray, Wendy (Mark) Prudowsky and Becky (Steve) Zimmer; uncles, John Richard “Rick” Braun and Gardy Weber; and cousins, Matt, Josh and Daniel Moczinski, Sarah (Andrew) Franz, Jaime Gray (Leszek Zarzecki), Jessica (Nathan) Radue and Carissa (Derek) Stevens, Beth (Rob) Hall, Eric (Ashley) Bogenschuetz, Garden and Gather Weber, Kevin (Joanna) Korineck, Olivia Korineck, and Charles Korineck Jr.

Mike was preceded in death by his grandparents, Frances Benson and John “Jack” Braun, Lois and Robert Kuchenbecker; aunt, Shannon Weber; infant uncles, Bryon Kuchenbecker and Kevon Kuchenbecker; and cousin, Jacob Gray.

We would very sincerely express our gratitude for the love and care that Mike and our family have received from Dr. Dustin Deming, Dr. Seyed Mirabbasi, Nurses Tanya Strand and Kristin Windschiefl, Natalie, Chaplain Kirsten Worzala Dumke and all the staff of University Hospital’s TLC, Acute Care, and Oncology units.

A celebration of life will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Ave., Middleton, at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 13, 2024. A visitation will be held at the funeral home from 1 p.m. until the time of the service on Sunday.

Mike would ask you, even if you think you are too young, to have a colonoscopy and genetic testing for colon cancer. Register for organ donation and tell your loved ones of your wish to donate. Support these causes that were important to Mike: Wisconsin Epilepsy Foundation (epilepsywisconsin.org), Boston University’s Traumatic Brain Injury & CTE Center (tinyurl.com/3sbu2pmj) and National Parks Charity (nationalparks.org).

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West
Funeral & Cremation Care
7435 University Ave.
(608) 831-6761

Michael T Kuchenbecker

January 17, 1991 - October 05, 2024

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