Funeral services are being held at noon today for Michael “Mike” Lahti, former school board member, county commissioner, state representative and long-time Copper Country businessman and developer. Mike passed away Monday of an apparent heart attack at the age of 80.

In cases like this, when discussing the passing of a notable person, it’s common to overstate the individual’s accomplishments and contribution to the community. That’s not the case with Mike. No matter how lengthy and detailed the list of what he has done and what he has meant to the Copper Country, the Upper Peninsula and the state, it would certainly fall short of what he has meant to all of us.

Like so many here, Mike was of Finnish heritage and took a great deal of pride in being a Hancock native, and looked for every opportunity to give back to his home. For more than a half century he owned and operated a successful insurance agency and from that success, he and his wife Sharon, were able to open many similarly successful business endeavors locally — the Ramada Inn of Hancock, area laundromats and car washes, a fitness center and a plethora of residential and commercial properties.

Take a quick walk on Quincy Street in Hancock and you are in the presence of Mike’s influence … from the transformation of the Scott Hotel into affordable senior housing to the rebuilt structure just down the block that was destroyed by a deadly fire.

Lesser individuals would be content to rest on their business success. But that wasn’t in Mike’s DNA. As an always accessible politician he served on a variety of community boards, was elected to the Hancock School Board, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners and the Michigan House of Representatives. Local journalists, including Mining Gazette Staff, found Mike available and willing to help ensure the public was kept informed of what was happening locally and statewide,

Mike’s legacy will live on through his family, friends, business associates and many contributions to the Keweenaw. His was certainly a life well lived, and he will be missed.