CDR James “Mike” Michael Hunziker, USN (Ret.)
ENS Hunziker became a Naval Aviator on May 8, 1971 at HT-8, NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, FL. ENS Hunziker is Navy Helicopter Designator Number # R-11596
Age 79, of Lakeville, MN, passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2026, after a heroic battle with Parkinson’s disease. Mike was a dignified, stylish, intelligent man with a sly but warm sense of humor. He was generous, welcoming, engaging, and always interested in people’s lives and their stories.
Michael was born on March 8, 1947, in Iowa City, IA, the first of James and Doreen Hunziker’s 14 children. Growing up in Mankato, MN, he attended grade school at St. Peter & Paul’s Catholic School and graduated from Loyola High School in 1965. He participated in track and football at Loyola, but outside of school, Mike nurtured a passion for cars and worked many jobs—at grocery stores, the JCPenney shoe department, and nearly every gas station in town—to earn the money for his first of many cars, a black and red Ford for $75.00.
Mike’s postsecondary academic career reflected his wide-ranging interests as well as his work ethic. He attended Minnesota State University, Mankato (where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity), and graduated in 1969 with a double major in Economics and World History and a minor in German. Later, he earned graduate degrees from Pensacola State College, Pensacola, FL, and Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Michael and Susan Ario, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, were married on April 26, 1970. Together, they enjoyed 56 years of adventures, from traveling and skiing to going to Sanibel Island, Florida with Susie, their daughters and grandchildren for 18 years. Mike, ever the pilot, affectionately called Susie his “Ace”. Even in his last days, his thoughts were most often about her. He liked to listen and sing along to Willie Nelson’s version of “You Were Always On My Mind,” and his last words were a heartfelt declaration: “I love Susie!” The couple welcomed daughters Lara in 1971 and Catherine in 1986, and Mike was immensely proud of both of his girls, both personally and professionally. He was thrilled to become a grandfather with the arrival of Vincent in 2005 and Sophia in 2008.
A great deal of Mike’s life was dedicated to military service in the United States Navy and, later, the Navy Reserve. He joined the Navy in October 1969, received his wings in November 1970, and served until 1976, receiving an honorable discharge as a Lieutenant Commander. Mike proudly served on the USS Forrestal (CV-59) from 1972 to 1974 as a member of the Squadron HS-3. He always said what an honor it was to serve on Forrestal because she was the Navy’s first “supercarrier”, transforming naval aviation by incorporating a revolutionary angled flight deck and steam-powered catapults. While stationed on the USS Forrestal, Mike flew Sikorsky SH-3D helicopters and, in March 1973, he received the Air Medal “V”. The “V” Medal, which is worn to denote valor and acts of heroism, was awarded to Michael for his relief and rescue operations in the flooded Medjerda River area of Tunisia. From 1974 to 1976, he was a T-28 aircraft flight instructor at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Pensacola, FL. Michael was a very active member of the Navy Reserve, which he joined in 1977 and retired in August 1994 as a Commanding Officer.
Michael flew for Frontier Airlines for 10 years, and briefly for Continental Airlines when the company acquired Frontier. He then began a 20-year career as an international pilot for Federal Express, first flying as captain of a 727, and eventually as captain of a DC-10 aircraft. He retired from Federal Express in 2007.
Throughout his life, Mike was an enthusiastic and versatile sportsman, finding tranquility in the beauty of nature and comradeship in the company of his friends, either in the field or on the water. That passion began with duck and pheasant hunting alongside his uncles, Jack Hunziker and Ralph Ireland. (Uncle Ralph also introduced Mike to flying when they took Ralph’s light plane on hunting trips.)
From the notorious “Duck Shack” on Swan Lake to the great American West and from the Driftless region to the lakes of Northern Minnesota, Mike spent countless happy hours hunting (waterfowl, pheasant, antelope, mule deer and elk) and fishing (trout and walleye) with his brother Peter and friends Lee Carlstrom, Fr. Joe Fogal, Larry Lageson, and many others. Whatever Mike bagged—be it fish, fowl, or game—he was prepared to cook, and, true to his own standard of excellence, he always did it in style.
One of the things Mike enjoyed most about duck and pheasant hunting was the relationships it allowed him to foster with his loyal dogs: English Setter, Dusty, and Yellow Lab, Abbie. Mike was especially proud of his beloved Abbie, an outstanding retriever who was so popular (and coveted) among his friends that she was included on many flights to Iowa for pheasant hunting and trips to Leech Lake to hustle walleyes.
There was another place in the outdoors that had perhaps the greatest hold on Mike’s heart: the family cabin at Duck Lake, near Madison Lake, MN. Throughout their life together, Mike and Susie relished spending summers at the cabin, enjoying fishing, watersports, cards and games, and most of all, sharing time with their favorite people. The cabin was their go-to place for summer fun with an open-door policy. Family was deeply important to Mike, and he always welcomed the opportunity to spend time with his siblings, nephews, and nieces. He was always interested in their lives and pursuits and was a ready provider of advice and support, always encouraging them to follow their dreams, just as he followed his.
Michael was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in October of 2011 and received the news with grace and courage. He was determined to make the best of his life despite the prognosis and continued to pursue his hobbies and stay active. Throughout Mike’s Parkinson’s journey, he was supported by his wife, Susie, and daughters, Lara and Catherine. His siblings were also there to care for him, bringing him home-cooked meals, lots of his favorite ice cream, root beer floats, and providing love and hands-on care until his final hours.
Michael was preceded in death by his father and mother, James and Doreen (Nelson) Hunziker, infant sister Stephanie, brother Paul Arden, niece Andrea (Hunziker) Bashaw, brother-in-law Sohan Sahota, father and mother-in-law Marvin and Adelaide Ario, and beloved family member Tyler Lenort, who always kept Mike laughing.
He is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Lara (Rick) Becchetti and Catherine Hunziker (Andrew Norris), grandchildren Vincent and Sophia Becchetti, siblings Mary (Sohan) Sahota, Anne (Bob) Dickerman, Peter Hunziker, Jayne Hunziker, Laura (BJ) Weness, Claire Heihn, Beth (Richard) White, Joseph Hunziker, Gretchen Hunziker, Peg (Tim) Maertens, Susan (Jerry Smith) Hunziker, and Anastasia Hunziker; 23 nieces and nephews and 36 great-nieces and nephews.
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Woodland Hills Cemetery, Mankato, MN