Michael John Lapadat

Michael Lapadat December 16, 1984 - August 13, 2026 Michael Lapadat, age 41, of Shoreview, Minnesota, passed away on August 13, 2026. He was born on December 16, 1984, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to John and Roxanne Lapadat. Michael graduated from Centennial High School in 2003 and went on to attend Bemidji State University. He joined the Minnesota Army National Guard and served on active duty from September 21, 2005, to August 26, 2007, with the Red Bulls, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. After returning from deployment, Michael began a career with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he worked for more than ten years. In 2018, he left the VA to open his own tax preparation business, joining a proud tradition of tax preparers in the Lapadat family. It was at the VA that Michael met his wife, Carla Shutrop. They were married in 2017 on North Captiva Island in Florida, their favorite place to vacation. A dog lover from a family of dog lovers, Michael adopted a good-natured basset-lab mix named Tank. The two shared a love of the open road, and drove side by side the best of friends, back and forth across the country as work assignments took their family first to Reno, then to Seattle, and eventually back home to the Twin Cities. Tank was later joined by Rip, a 100-pound American German Shepherd who became Michael's constant companion and protector, especially as Tank aged. Michael was the firstborn of four children, and the first grandchild on either side of a boisterous, loving, and tight-knit family. He was respectfully referred to as "Michael," affectionately referred to as "Mike," and lovingly referred to as "Mikey" by his adoring grandparents and "M" in his immediate family. Mike played baseball as a boy, loved golf, hunting, fishing, and time spent at the family lake cabin in northern Minnesota, where he was always the first volunteer to help with anything that needed to be done. He was his father John's right-hand man and best friend. He is survived by his loving wife, Carla Shutrop; parents, John and Roxanne Lapadat; brother, Patrick; sisters, Gillian and Rhiannon; maternal grandparents, Bert and Nancy Erickson; paternal grandmother, Marianne Lapadat; and his devoted dog, Rip. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, John "Papa" Lapadat, who loved him more than life itself, and by his dog, Tank. A visitation will be held on Monday, August 24, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with a service to follow at 3:00 p.m., at Washburn-McReavy Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell Shoreview Funeral Chapel, 515 County Hwy 96 W, Shoreview, MN 55126. Burial with full military honors will take place in a private ceremony at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on September 15, 2026. Memorials in lieu of flowers would be preferred. Memorials will be distributed by the family. .