Mike Fledderman, 57, of Brookville, IN passed unexpectedly, in a mowing accident, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Mike grew up in Sunman, went to St. Nicholas grade school and graduated from East Central High School in 1986. After high school, he attended St. Joseph’s College to play basketball for one year. He then transferred to his dream school, Purdue University. An avid sports enthusiast, Mike played basketball and baseball in high school. He even tried cross country for a year, and although he was doing it to get out of basketball conditioning, he was so competitive that he broke a school record. Once Jody and Mike had children, Mike continued his love of sports by coaching their teams. Whether they were there for the win or just playing for fun, Mike dedicated himself to his children and their development.
Beyond sports, Mike had a love for just about anything under the sun. Being the social coordinator that he was, he enjoyed playing cards, throwing horseshoes, playing golf, and camping. He taught his kids to fish, hunt, trap, and process. He spent hours cultivating his vegetable garden and canned nearly everything he grew. Mike built their family’s home, pool, and a putting green with the goal of welcoming others, and the space to have many projects at once. His mechanical aptitude allowed him to fix just about anything including the family cars, snow mobiles, Jody’s Jeep, Leo’s quads, and many golf carts the kids wrecked. If nothing was going on, you could find him tinkering on anything with a motor. Unless, of course, Mike was helping someone, which seemed to happen more often than not. While he liked to keep busy, he always found time to drop what he was doing to serve others. Serving others was very important to Mike.
Above all else, Mike was a man of faith, a family man, and a true friend. He prayed the Rosary everyday, probably three times a day, and often told Jody that his purpose was to ensure that she and their children made it to heaven. Mike’s faith taught their family many important lessons. He modeled through his actions to always love and be patient with others. These were actions that everyone around Mike experienced. He used his talents, from his career at ETC, to help local parishes bring the word of God to people online during Covid, and continues today. All Saints, St. Nicholas, and St. Anthony were benefactors of his skills that we have become accustomed to…being able to stream Mass online or attend funerals virtually, all because Mike saw a need and knew how to fix it. As humble as a man could be, Mike would always say, “Oh, it’s no big deal”, when really the impact he made on others was immeasurable.
Mike will be deeply missed by Jody, his wife of 30 years; children Brantley Fledderman, Claire (Andrew) Fledderman Snyder, Ella Fledderman, and Leo Fledderman; parents Thomas and Patricia Fledderman; siblings Kim (Bruce) Bauman, Greg (Anita) Fledderman, and Brad Fledderman; in-laws Don & Linda Schuck, Julie (Chad) Moorman, and Jenny (Chad) Miles; and nieces & nephews Rory (Caleb), Sydney, Rian, Will, Alexa, Luke, Ethan, Connor, Campbell, and Layna.
Services for Mike will be held on Tuesday, June 3 at All Saints Parish Life Center at St. Joseph’s Campus. Rosary will begin at 9:00am, followed by visitation until 11:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:30am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. A private burial will be held at a later date. For those unable to attend, Mass will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/aspweeklyhomily. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Nicholas School, St. Peter’s Church, or help defray funeral expenses. Family and friends are encouraged to leave condolences at www.andres-wuestefeldfh.com.