Mary E. "Miki" Banavige

Mary E. “Miki” Banavige, of Maple Plain, Minnesota, went to be with the Lord on Mar 1, 2026.

Miki was born on January 16, 1939, to Kenneth and Annetta “Isabelle” Mutchler at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. Miki grew up in McLean, Virginia and was a very proud member of the first graduating class at McLean High School. She attended college and graduated from the Richmond Professional Institute of the Colleges of William and Mary, which is now part of Virginia Commonwealth University. After marrying Daniel Thomas Banavige, they lived in Ohio, Michigan and Georgia before settling down to her true home in Minnesota, where they raised their two children, Tamara Lynn and Joseph Michael. Miki was a consummate salesperson, holding several sales roles, and also led the Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce as the Executive Vice President for several years where she ramped up the “Chilly Open” frozen golf tournament. She was an accomplished author and writer of a cooking column for the Wayzata Weekly News, completed two cookbooks, and her proudest literary achievement of all was a creative non-fiction work entitled Finding Aztec Gold. She loved international travel and happily chased the annual Monarch butterfly migration in Mexico, writing in her book, “The quiet sound of millions of fluttering wings was surely God whispering to us.”

Miki completed some clown schooling later in life and enjoyed entertaining others and putting smiles on their faces. The greatest joys of her life were her grandchildren, her large group of friends, cooking great meals and making people laugh. Her passion for creating and marketing great things never ceased. By example, at Haven Homes where she lived out her final years, Miki was a major force behind the fundraising and purchasing of a bus for the residents to use during field trips. Her family is so grateful for all of her wonderful friends and staff at Haven Homes, they filled her last years with lots of love and gratitude!

Miki is survived by her son Joe (Maureen), grandchildren Benjamin, Joseph Everett “Jeb” (Audrey), Maeve; Tamara’s longtime partner Eva Elisdriel (Grooters) and many extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Tamara, former husband Dan and grandson Ronan.

Miki is now resting in peace with God and her beloved family – and there is no doubt she is happily dancing among the butterflies in Heaven!

Services will be held later this spring at Holy Name of Jesus Church, Medina, Minnesota. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners at www.iocp.org.