Michelle Aileen Mensinger

Michelle Aileen Mensigner, beloved daughter, sister, and friend, passed away unexpectedly on August 3rd after a tragic trip and fall accident. She was born in Washington and in her adult life called Arizona, Guam and Washington Home.

Michelle is survived by her mother, Aileen Richmond, her siblings, Christine Saetre (Alf Steinar), Tamara Smith, Derek Smith (Amanda and children Sydney and Vienna), Margaret Ann Whitman (Jeffrey and children McKenna and Theodor). She was preceded in death by her husband Glenn Mensinger; survived by Glenn’s family, father Ron Mensinger, sisters Evelyn Wise, Katherine Mensinger, and Gloria Worland.

From an early age, Michelle’s creativity was unmistakable—she even sold her drawings at the end of the driveway as a child. That artistic spirit only grew stronger as she did, shaping the path of her life and becoming one of her greatest joys.

Michelle was also a true entrepreneur. She bought and ran a successful coffee stand, blending her love of coffee with her gift for connecting with people. Many did not know, but she worked for years and recently secured a trademark for a personal brand—a testament to her determination, vision and perseverance.

She had a gift for finding beauty in the everyday. Michelle loved art, coffee, and her cats, and those who knew her will remember her as fun, kind and deeply empathetic. She was socially aware, politically active on TikTok, and wore her heart openly on her sleeve.

Although she faced some serious challenges in life, her battles did not define her. She carried within her a strength that helped her to continue to create, dream and move forward.

Her light will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.

A memorial will be held at Manchester State Park on Saturday, September 13 @ 11:00 AM. It will be held at the first picnic shelter north of the torpedo shelter. Discover pass is required to attend this event but we will be car pooling from the upper lot if you don’t have one. Weather is expected to be mild.