Michael "Mike" Joseph Mnich

Michael Joseph (Mike) Mnich passed away on April 9, 2026, in Powhatan Virginia, at the age of 93. Mike was born on June 5, 1932, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma to Konstanty (Gus) and Angela (Nellie) Mnich. He attended St. John's School in Bartlesville through the 9th grade and graduated from College High School in Bartlesville in 1950. He was a champion swimmer on the high school swim team and earned a swimming scholarship to Michigan State University. Later, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After graduation, he moved back to Bartlesville and began working and managing the family business, Mnich's Grocery, famous for their homemade authentic polish sausage using a recipe brought from Poland by his father, Gus, specialty meat products such as porchetta and ham loaf, house smoked and barbequed meats made on the premises, a full array of gourmet cheese and an extensive deli with hot and cold offerings cooked in the deli's kitchen. Mike was the driving force behind the Mnich's Grocery move to a beautiful new store which provided the facilities to increase the volume of meat products produced for which Mnich's Grocery had become famous.

He married the love of his life, Barbara Ann (Annie) Spaulding on August 25, 1951. They were married for 57 years until Annie's passing in 2008. When Annie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 1990, Mike became her sole caregiver for 18 years. He was devoted to Annie and thanks to his care, they both continued to fully enjoy their home, garden and family throughout the years of her long illness.

Mike had many close friends and enjoyed bowling in 2 leagues. He was a lifelong member of St. John's Catholic Church and was a member of the Parish Council for several years. He was an avid gardener and transformed 4 acres of rural Oklahoma countryside into a beautiful garden sanctuary. He had hundreds of daylilies, his favorite flower, and gifted many plants to friends and family. He even hybridized his own daylilies and his "babies" (as he called them) were beauties. He created the Daylily Garden at Johnstone Park in Bartlesville, which he planted himself with daylilies from his own property. He and Annie were members of the Bartlesville Garden Club for many years. He loved Christmas and each year put out all his decorations, inside and out, starting in October. His favorite day of the year was Christmas Eve, when the entire Mnich Family would gather for the traditional Polish Wigilia dinner at his home. After moving to Powhatan, VA, for the last three years of his life, he left his extensive collection of Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, and Nutcrackers up all year long and it gave him great joy.

Mike was predeceased by his beloved wife, Annie, his parents, Gus and Nellie Mnich, his brothers, Louis, Loddie, Tony and Gus, Jr. Mnich and his sister, Julia Kempa. He is survived by his three children: daughter, Connie Napier and her husband, Gene, of South Lake Tahoe, CA; son, Tom Mnich and his wife, Diana, of Woodland Park, CO; daughter, Katie Snyder and her husband, Steve, of Powhatan, VA; six grandchildren, Amanda Beuke and her husband, Sam, of Broomfield, CO, Becky Davis of Bartlesville, OK, Brian Napier and his fiancé, Lizzy, of Brooklyn, NY, Chris Mnich and his wife, Trisha, of Colorado Springs, CO, Cheryl Betterley and her husband Seth of Placitas, NM and Krysha Snyder of Richmond, VA; and five great-grandchildren, Evan, Lily, River, Breckin and Zach. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, Gus and Billie Mnich, Loddie and Connie Mnich, Debbi and Mark Krittenbrink, Susie and Mark Howerton, Annie Kempa, Kevin Mnich, Mike and LaDonna Mnich, Mary Ann and Phil Wolf, David and Tracey DeShazo and Julie and Jeff Cole.

Mike was a remarkable man with a creative, fun loving and adventurous nature. He had many interests and packed 200 years of living into 93 years. He appreciated fine foods and spirits in the company of family and friends. He enjoyed traveling and experiencing all the beauty in nature and the world. He deeply loved his wife, his children, his parents and extended family, and he worked hard to help and lift up all of us. He was a devout Catholic and held his religion and his Polish heritage close to his heart. He lived for the genuine things in life and taught his children to do the same. His children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren will continue to follow his example and carry on the traditions that were so important to him and be reminded of him daily. Daddy, we love you forever and ever.

A Rosary will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM at the St. John Before the Latin Gate Catholic Church in Bartlesville, OK. The Mass of the Resurrection will be held at St. John Before the Latin Gate Catholic Church, Bartlesville, OK, on May 15, 2026 at 11:00.