Morgan Johanna Maki

Morgan Johanna Maki “KMak”, 24, lifelong Superior resident, died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, MN. She was born in Duluth, February 11, 1997, the daughter of Jeffrey and Dina (Choquette) Maki.

Morgan was a graduate of Superior Senior High Schools’ class of 2018, and attended the Challenge Center in Superior.

To know Morgan was to love her! She was an absolute charmer with an infectious smile who lit up the room every time she entered. She strove to engage others and participate in life to the fullest extent that she was able to, and simply wanted to be included like everyone else does. Non-verbal her entire life, she found other ways to communicate her needs subtly, and spoke volumes if you observed her closely. We could determine from her smiles, eye rolls (mom was a frequent target of those!) head nods, and vocalizations if we were meeting her needs, and boy, she didn’t hesitate to let us know! She was a daddy’s girl & loved her brother Jake best. They had wonderful connection and she thought it was Christmas every time she saw him. She loved jokes and humor and we laughed so much! Campfires with family and friends were a favorite activity of hers, she enjoyed music and conversation around the “forest fire” as we jokingly called it. She was the Queen of Yahtzee, no one could beat her at that game, and she reveled in that fact. She loved Disney princesses and the movies, “Princess and the Frog” and “Moana” were her favorites. Both these princesses had trials to overcome in their lives, and she identified with that. She giggled every time a prince kissed a princess, and was quite the flirt herself! And best of all, she loved music and was a wonderful singer. Even though she couldn’t sing the words she vocalized along, and her tone and inflection matched the song perfectly. She enjoyed music from all genres, and we sang and listened to it everyday. Music helped her to keep fighting, comforted her during illness, and inspired her to be happy through it all.

She was a gift and it will be hard to go on without her; our family isn’t the same. It was a privilege to care for her as her parents, we are honored that God entrusted us with her care. We always focused on her ability rather than her disability. She was a person first. She taught us many lessons, the most important of these was to do the right thing even though it was the hard thing. Our hope is that she leaves a legacy of inclusion, and that those who knew her honor her memory by helping other people with disabilities so they can have a better life. “Placing one foot in front of the other, I’ve climbed to higher lengths. Reaching beyond my own limitations, to show my inner strength. No obstacle too hard, for this warrior to overcome. I’m just a man on a mission to prove that my disability hasn’t won.” -Robert Hensel

Morgan is survived by her loving parents, Jeff and Dina, Superior, WI; brother, Jakob Maki, Superior, WI; maternal grandmother, Johanna Choquette, Escanaba, MI;  paternal grandparents, Roger and Pamela Maki, L’anse, MI; maternal Aunt, Danielle (Lester) Chamberlain; paternal Aunts, Laura (Chris) Harry, Kristine (Roderick) Bock, and Wendy (Lee) Taavola.

She is preceded in death by her maternal beloved grandfather, Dean Choquette; and special cousin, Hunter Taavola.

Morgan was blessed to have the best caregivers in the world: Carrie Mattson, Joelle Chambers, Sadie Johnson, & Kaydence Young; and the best educational assistant (and drill Sergeant!) in the world, Sharon Manley. We love you all and you will always be part of our family. Thank you for going above and beyond taking care of our girl. You are truly amazing people!

Special thanks to Carrie for being Morgan’s best friend and confidante. You gave all of us normalcy in a chaotic life and allowed Jeff and I to get much needed breaks. I never worried about Morgan when she was in your care. I will miss you two girls yakking it up in her room, I loved listening to you talk to about your life, Bryce, and the animals you saw living in the country. You two had a special relationship and Morgan loved you very much! Special thanks to Joelle, Morgan’s other best friend. Your quiet calmness got me through many scary medical situations. I will miss the two of you girls giggling together while reading the tabloids, hoping Justin Bieber was single. She loved all your adventures to Pattison Park and Billings Park, being outside in nature was a favorite activity for her. Morgan loved you dearly! Special thanks to Sharon Manley, Morgan’s other best friend and educational assistant who was by her side from first grade through graduation, Team M & M! Morgan wouldn’t have made it through school without you and we always felt like she was safe in your care. You were there through it all: surgeries, illnesses, good times and bad. She loved you very much.

A Celebration of Morgan’s Life will be held from 3-6:30 PM, Saturday, April 17, 2021 at Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home, 1209 E. 5 ^th Street, Superior, with a Service of Remembrance to begin at 6:00PM with Rev. Fr. James Tobolski officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Superior School’s Special Education Program.

To leave a condolence or sign the guestbook, please visit our website at www.lenroot-maetzold.com .