Michael Peter Lettunich

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Michael Peter Lettunich – our beloved Mike, Dad, Papa – on Monday, June 23, 2025. Mike died peacefully with his family by his side. He was 83 years of age.

Mike was a friend to everyone he met. He greeted you by name, or a chosen nickname, and was quick with a smile, a joke, and an easy laugh. He will be missed dearly.

Mike was born in Watsonville, Calif., on July 28, 1941, the second of three children of immigrant parents, Peter and Anna Lettunich – both from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia (formerly Yugoslavia). Many Slavic families from the Konavle region settled in the Pajaro Valley to establish farms, ranches and other local businesses.

The Lettunich Family owned farmland, and one of California’s first shopping malls where young Mike would play with friends, bicycle, and ride his pony. He attended Catholic school and received all the sacraments.

The shopping center was home to Pete’s Hideout – a bar bearing his father’s name, where locals were greeted with warmth, love, and a cold beer or cocktail. As a young man, Mike tended bar alongside his father and was a stand-out athlete on the Pete’s Hideout Baseball Team.

Mike enjoyed duck hunting in the Sacramento Valley with his father. He also loved 50s and 60s music with many stories of live performances, including George & Teddy. Mike and his sister Tess would swing dance on the tables in the high school cafeteria, as crowds circled and cheered them on. Mike played on the Watsonville High School baseball and basketball teams.

Mike attended the University of San Francisco where he served as an altar boy at the Catholic Church and played baseball with the USF Dons. His name is still listed among former athletes in the annual baseball program. At college, he made lifelong friends, deemed the Rat Pack – who remain close to this day.

In 1963, Mike was set up on a blind date with Renée Hanset of nearby Santa Cruz, Calif. The two were a great match and dated while they each finished college. Mike graduated with a degree in finance in 1964, and the couple was married on October 8, 1966. They welcomed their first child, Michelle (Mimi, ‘67), in Watsonville.

After running cattle on leased property in three California counties, Mike moved his family to Payette, Idaho, in 1969. The cattle were consolidated on ranchland with a large barn and lush, green acreage – with both the Payette and Snake rivers running through it.

Lettunich & Sons Ranch would rise to the pinnacle of purebred Angus and Brangus breeding programs in the country. Mike worked closely with the cattle, rode horse, ran the chute, managed calving season, and was responsible for the genetics breeding program, including early artificial insemination to impact the overall confirmation and health of the herd. Mike was a regular judge at high profile Cattle & Livestock Shows in North America – with many awards to his credit.

Mike and Renee added to their family with Suzanne (Suzie, ‘69) and Michael Jr. (Mike, ‘72). The kids have fond memories of growing up on the ranch, riding horse, and traveling for swim team, gymnastics and baseball. The family enjoyed camping trips in McCall, and ski trips across the Rocky Mountains. Mike had a strong sense of adventure, and a healthy competitive spirit – always up for a game of cribbage, or billiards ‘round the family pool table.

While in Idaho, the family regularly visited Seattle for pro football and baseball games, and fun strolling through Pike Place Market. Upon moving to Seattle in 2002, Mike and Renee shared all the joys of the city with their children and grandchildren – the zoo, aquarium, and family events at their beautiful home with views of the city, Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound.

Mike found their home in Magnolia while out walking the dog. He introduced himself to a man he saw working on the exterior. After a friendly conversation and a handshake, Mike purchased the home before it ever went on the market. They would live there 20 years – hosting barbecues, birthdays and holiday celebrations.

Mike played Senior League Softball with the Seattle Sting, helped coach his grandson’s little league team, and was a regular in the stands at the grandkids’ football, soccer and lacrosse games.

Mike was a long time Oakland Raider fan, who adopted the Seattle Seahawks in hopes of a playoff run – making the Superbowl victory of 2014 very sweet, indeed. While he enjoyed watching and playing tennis later in life, Mike’s first love was always baseball. Despite their ups and downs, he remained loyal to his Seattle Mariners, to the end. The last game he watched was a shutout M’s win: 8-0.

A devote Catholic, Mike was an active member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Payette, was a founding member of St. Peter’s Catholic School in nearby Ontario, Ore., and attended weekly mass at Our Lady of Fátima Parish in Seattle.

Mike enjoyed travel with his family – including trips to London, Paris, Madrid, an African Safari, and meeting extended family in Dubrovnik on multiple occasions. Mike spent time in the Vancouver / Portland area for social gatherings, and always had his Golden Retriever and close companion, Audrey, in tow. He never hesitated to raise a glass and toast his friends – with an Old Fashioned, or his drink-of-choice: Dalwhinnie single-malt Scotch.

Everyone who met Mike was a fast friend. He touched people with his kindness, generosity, and sense of humor. If he teased you, he loved you. And if he hugged you, you felt it in your bones.

Mike is preceded in death by his wife, Renée (d. 2022). Mike is survived by his three children: Mimi Lettunich (& Kris Wigger) of Portland, Suzie (& John) Schofield of Seattle, and Mike Jr. (& Parnel) Lettunich of Seattle; and five grandchildren: Jaxen, Bennett, Maceo, Nico, and Buckley. Mike is also survived by his sister, Theresa (& John) Ucovich of Vancouver, Wash, and several nieces, nephews and extended family in the U.S. and Croatia. Memorial services will be private.