Michelle Lea Hansen (Mankowski), age 51, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, passed away unexpectedly on September 14, 2026.

Michelle was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Brooklyn Park. She dedicated her life to caring for others, both as a mother, wife and through her lifelong career as a neuro trauma nurse at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. After earning her nursing degree from St. Catherine University, Michelle devoted her career to caring for her patients with compassion, kindness, and unwavering dedication.

Michelle’s greatest joy was her family, and her love story with her husband, Joe, was a special part of the life they built together. Michelle and Joe met during her senior-year spring break trip to Clearwater, Florida. Although they met while away in Florida, they soon discovered that they were from the same area in Minnesota and had been living only about 15 minutes apart. What began with a chance meeting on a warm Florida beach became a 33-year love story. Michelle and Joe spent 33 years together and were married for 27 of those years. Together, they built a family and a life filled with love, laughter, vacations, boat days, and countless memories. Joe was Michelle’s partner through all of it, and their family was the center of the life they created together.

Caring for others was simply who Michelle was. She was always asking whether everyone had eaten and offering snacks—usually more snacks than anyone could possibly need. She loved shopping for other people– constantly buying treats, gifts, and little things she thought someone might enjoy.

Michelle was the heart and rock of her family. She was a caring and loving mother and wife, and she was incredibly proud of her daughters, Lexi and Annika. She loved telling everyone what her kids were up to and was always excited to share their accomplishments. She was always talking on the phone, and one of her daily traditions was calling her mom on her way home from work.

Michelle had a personality as bright as the clothes she loved to wear. She loved colorful, cheerful outfits and never liked feeling limited to the plain colors required by her work scrubs. She loved getting her hair and nails done and was always excited about her next appointment.

She enjoyed music, especially Taylor Swift and fun pop songs that could instantly put her in a good mood. You could find her watching cooking and home remodeling shows and reality TV. She loved flowers, even if keeping them alive wasn’t always her greatest talent. She had a gift for coming up with creative craft ideas that she would start and make her husband finish. She had a gift for making adorable food platters and cookies and a particular love for peanut M&M’s and chocolate of just about any kind.

Michelle loved warm weather and everything that came with it. She liked warm vacations with her family, spending time on the boat, laying out in the sunshine, and simply being comfortable. Michelle had an aversion to camping, mess, dirt and germs. She much preferred a warm, relaxing bath—especially after a long shift at work.

Michelle’s beloved dog, Honey, held a very special place in her heart. Honey is spoiled in the very best way and was truly a member of the family. Michelle loved taking Honey for walks along the river near their new home in Stillwater.

She gave so much of herself to the people around her. Her generosity, bright personality, sense of humor, love of family, and enormous heart will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

Michelle is survived by her loving husband of 27 years, Joe Hansen; her daughters, Alexis Hansen and Annika Hansen; her beloved dog, Honey; her parents, Rich and Mary Mankowski (Hartman); her twin brother, Mark Mankowski; her sister, Melissa Mankowski; her nephew, Emre Turkeli; and many extended family members, including aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation and funeral service will be held at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Anoka on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. A pop of pink is encouraged to honor her.

Michelle leaves behind a family who loved her beyond words and a lifetime of people whose lives she touched through her care, compassion, and generosity. She will be remembered for her bright personality, her endless love for her family, her dedication to caring for others, and the countless little ways she made the people around her feel loved. Her family will carry her with them in every phone call, every sunny day, every boat ride, every sweet treat, every colorful outfit, and every act of kindness she taught them to give.