I stand here before you

to sit here behind you

to tell you a story

I know nothing about

........

This is how Michael always introduced himself!

Michael Beaufils—not just as a man, but as a force. Michael was tough, sometimes stubborn, and not always easy to understand, but he was real. He was the kind of man who built things—homes, memories, and a life that, despite its hardships, was full of love and meaning.

Michael was born on May 21, 1955, in Denver, Colorado to Clarence Richard Beaufils and Darlene Rae Mayberry. His early years were not easy. He grew up under the hard hand of a father who did not know how to show the love or kindness that a boy needs, but he imparted his love of hunting and the outdoors to Michael. The two of them spent all their time in the mountains and corn fields of Colorado. Michael with just a mere horn in his hand would take off on the heels of his beloved coon dogs. He sounded his horn once the dogs started baying that they had treed their game, whether it was raccoon, bear or a cat. Michael's fondest childhood memories was chasing those dogs.

July 5th, 1973, he joined the Navy, he jumped from the frying pan into the fire and landed in Guam where he became a heavy equipment diesel mechanic during the Vietnam war.

After his time in the service, Michael decided the life for him was that of a biker and off to California he went. After several years there he moved back to Colorado. footloose and fancy free with a few pennies in his pocket he started working as a concrete finisher during the day hanging out at the bars at night. He and his crew started their day at the hideout for coffee before work and this is where he met and fell in love with his future wife LaDina. Michael worked his way up from a concrete finisher, pipeline layer, golf course maintenance, to becoming a Superintendent, building multimillion dollar buildings, all self-taught he let nothing stand in his way he always figured out how to do it. Michael knew and understood the value of hard work, of earning what you have, and of providing for those who depended on him.

More than anything, Michael wanted a family of his own, a place where he belonged and when he married LaDina it was the beginning of his dreams. Michael didn't just take on the role of a husband—he chose to be a father. He accepted Colleen as his own when she was just three years old, proving that love is not just about blood, but about the choices we make. Together, they built a life, raising Colleen in a small cabin in the middle of the woods. In 1986 they welcomed their next daughter Renee and in 1988 their son Andre. And though Michael wasn't a perfect father, he never stopped, never quit, and he never gave up. He loved his wife and children fiercely. That means more than anything.

Michael knew loss in ways no parent should. January 21st, 1984, he was preceded in death by his twin sons, Cody and Cory, whom he lost in infancy. That kind of loss leaves a scar on a man, one that never truly fades. But through his grief, through the weight of all he carried, he held onto something stronger than himself—his faith.

Michael's relationship with God was at the core of who he was. His faith was not just something he talked about; it was something he tried to live. Even when life was difficult, even when his own past haunted him, he trusted in God's plan. He believed in grace, in redemption, and in the promise of something greater beyond this life.

Now, Michael is at peace. He has reunited with Cody and Cory, with his mother, Darlene, and even with the father who perhaps, in God's presence, there is healing even for those wounds.

For those of us left behind, his wife LaDina Beaufils. His brother Adrian Beaufils, sisters Jeanine and Michelle.  His children: Colleen Beaufils her SO, Daniel Armstrong, Renee Beaufils-Conklin her husband Jerry Conklin, Andre Beaufils, his SO Bobby Hubbs. Amy Beaufils

His grandchildren: Jazzmine Beaufils, Michael Beaufils, M.J. (Michael) Roskopf, Akoda (Bear) Beaufils, Maya Ann Conklin her SO Donavan Coulter, Miles Conklin, Liliana Armstrong, Lucas Armstrong, Harley Beaufils, Ahnaley Beaufils, coming soon Hunter Beaufils.

His great Grandchild Vinny Coulter.

Michael's legacy is one of strength, of resilience, and of choosing to love despite the hardships of the past. He was a builder in every sense of the word, and what he built—his family, his faith, his story—will not be forgotten.

A man will know his blessings by the children around his table.

Rest in peace, my Friend, Husband, Father, Umpa, Brother, Son. You have done your work. You have fought your battles. You have won the war. Now, you are home.