Michael A. “Mike” Kast, age 80 of Shawano, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday afternoon, December 30, 2020 in Shawano.
Mike was born June 16, 1940 in Shawano, a son of the late Keeth and Florence (Schumacher) Kast. He attended school in Shawano, graduating with the Shawano High School class of 1958. In December of 1960, Mike entered the U.S. Army, and served in the Signal Corps in Germany. He attained the rank of Sergeant before being honorably discharged in December of 1963. Following his time in the service, Mike went to work at Dey’s Construction in Shawano, where he worked as the shop foreman for over 20 years. On February 8, 1964, Mike was united in marriage to the former Diane R. Meyer at St. James Lutheran Church in Shawano. The couple lived and raised their family in Shawano. Diane preceded Mike in death on December 28, 2013.
In 1974, Mike received a kidney transplant from his brother, Tim. They are known to be the longest surviving organ donor brothers. Mike is a member of St. James Lutheran Church in Shawano. He enjoyed duck hunting, Muskie fishing near Three Lakes, and walking his dog, Lucky. Mike was incredibly handy, and was able to fix anything that needed fixing.
Survivors include his children, Karen (Chris) Hiser of Caro, MI, James Kast, Jon Kast, and J.D. (Mary) Kast, all of Shawano; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; two brothers, Tim (Susan) Blott of Oconomowoc, WI and Dan (Jeanie) Blott of Oregon; and several nieces and nephews.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, private family services have been held with interment in Woodlawn Cemetery. A public memorial service for Mike with full military honors will be held in June, 2021. In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials are preferred to the St. James Lutheran Church radio broadcast in Mike’s name.
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