Michael J. Kneafsey 

Michael J. Kneafsey 

June 23, 1964 – August 13, 2024 

“Captain Mike” passed away at Kansas University Medical Center after a valiant three-and-a-half-year battle with melanoma.

The Captain leaves behind his faithful First Mate, Jennifer (Meeker) Kneafsey; daughter, Lilly Grace Kneafsey; mother, Kathleen Kneafsey; sister, Kathy (Rick) Davis; mother-in-law,

Dianna Meeker; and sister-in-law Susan (Kevan) Buck. He also leaves a niece and nephews, and many relatives in Philadelphia and Ireland. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Kneafsey. 

To know Mike was to know a man of many passions – none greater than his love for his daughter. Even during his illness, he made it his mission to attend her milestone events and parties. Mike took great pride in being the “life of the party” and in having a home where drop-by company was welcomed. You could frequently find Mike wearing flip-flops year-round and enjoying a beer or whiskey on the porch while swapping stories with friends. He never met a stranger, and often joked that he “could talk to a shrubbery.”

Mike was a proud Tulsan, graduate of Bishop Kelley High School and the University of Tulsa, and co-founder of the Tulsa Rowing Club, serving as its president for decades. He was treasurer and “beer man” for the Southeast Tulsa Jaycees for over a decade; loved Oktoberfest; hosted annual, epic Groundhog’s Day parties; and was the unofficial Mayor of 16th Place. Mike was a member of the commissioning committee for the USS Tulsa and a River Parks advisory board member. He always lent a helping hand to anyone with a home project and loved being a mentor for new homeowners and real estate entrepreneurs.

Drawn to the water, maybe due to his Irish heritage, his passion for sailing moved from Grand Lake to his catamaran in the Caribbean, where the family loved sharing the laid-back lifestyle with friends and making memories in and on the ocean. Exploring new places was a thrill for Mike, who visited Chile, Switzerland, Russia, South Africa, Belize, and Uruguay, among many others. Visits to see family in Ireland were also favorites. Friends around the world are missing Mike’s wit and humor.

Instead of a funeral, Mike has left instructions for one last party, which will be held later this fall. He’s requested donations be made to the Tulsa Rowing Club (www.tulsarowingclub.org) or the Cheetah Preservation Foundation in South Africa (https://paypal.me/ExtinctionIsForever), where the family’s adopted cheetah, O’Malley, lives.

As Mike often said, “It isn’t the years, it is the miles.” He certainly maximized the miles, including ten international trips after his diagnosis. He set an example for how to focus on people, not things, and embodied the Jaycee creed that “service to humanity is the best work of life.”