Michael A. Dufresne

His family moved to Shoreview, Minnesota when Mike was young. He was the third sibling in a family of nine children. He is survived by his wife, Karen Lennette (Mehl) and their three children, Kathryn Lennette (Shawn MacDonald), Michael Keith, and Robert Austin; two granddaughters, Morgan Lennette and Bailey Marie Dufresne MacDonald; his sisters, Karen DuFresne and Patricia Dutton (Frank); his brothers, Raymond (Roserita), Ronald (Brenda Warden), Kent, Roger (Brenda) and David DuFresne; and many, many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Mike enjoyed cooking and joined the US Navy in 1971. He served two tours in Vietnam and was stationed for a year in Rota, Spain. His next duty station was in the San Francisco bay area, where as a petty officer, he served as both cook and instructor.

In 1975 he married Karen, then in 1979 the young family moved to Lewiston, Idaho, where Mike continued active service in the Navy reserves. Mike worked as a journeyman meat cutter and in the dairy industry while in Idaho. The children like to say they had three different dads; Kathryn was the Navy brat, Michael was the meat cutter's son and Robert was the milkman's son.

Mike impressed several officers during reserve deployment to Panama and had an opportunity to return to active duty service in the summer of 1986. The family moved once again, this time to Long Beach, California for two years, then to Selfridge Air National Guard base north of Detroit, Michigan for three years. Mike's final duty station took him to Belle Chase, Louisiana while his family relocated to Round Rock, Texas. Mike's leadership skills allowed him to advance through the upper ranks to Master Chief.

Having had enough of cold, snowy weather, Mike retired from the Navy in 1996 and reunited with his family in Central Texas. He joined his sons in Boy Scouting and went on many camping trips, including several weeks in Big Bend National Park and Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico. He loved spending time with the scouts, helping them learn about the outdoors and sharing skills learned in the Navy. He was a proud member of Boy Scouts Order of the Arrow.

During this time, he discovered the joy and camaraderie of Dutch oven cooking. This new passion took both Karen and Mike to gatherings across the United States and into the lives and friendship of wonderful people who shared their cast iron obsession. Mike was one of the first members of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society and he served on its board of directors. Mike also volunteered for several years with his granddaughters' Girl Scout troops, assisting with service unit events and day camps.

In 2007, Mike was diagnosed with Early Onset, Frontotemporal Dementia. His family would like to express their thanks to Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE of Central Texas) for his early care and A-Med Hospice for all their help and expertise during these difficult final weeks.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Keith Milford Dufresne and Doris Mae (Lee) Dufresne and his youngest sister, Christine Marie Taylor (Patrick).

The family wishes memorials be made to the Alzheimers/Dementia association or your local adult day care facility, in lieu of flowers.