Michelle "Shelley" Jean Laakso (née Strand), age 77, passed away Friday, May 9, 2025, at home surrounded by family and her beloved dog, Moose.

Shelley was born in Grand Rapids, MN in 1947 to Walter Sanford and Elvira Eva (née LaFond) Strand.  She graduated from Greenway High School in 1964 and married William "Bill" Michael Shannon in 1965.  After a short stint on the east coast for Bill's Navy enlistment, they returned to Grand Rapids.  In 1968, her daughter, G'Ann came into the world reluctantly after a long labor and in 1970, her daughter, Ni'Cole arrived during a spring snowstorm. Shelly and Bill were married for about 9 years.

In 1979, Shelley married her soulmate, Robert "Bob" John Laakso and they continued to reside in Grand Rapids.  Shelley and Bob were known as a jovial, fun loving couple until Bob's passing in 2017.  They enjoyed traveling and especially being on the water, eventually moving to live on Little Jay Gould Lake in Cohasset where she loved to attract and befriend the chippies (but not the muskrats and geese).

Shelley spent her career being a top-notch administrative assistant for various companies.  Most notably, Midway Homes and the Sawmill Inn and ending her working days with the city of Grand Rapids, first in the Building Department and then with Public Works keeping the maintenance guys in line.

Shelley was a lover of flowers and gardening, decorating her home, boating, traveling and watching football, while rooting for the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Her favorite pastime was attending her great grandson, William's, hockey games and spending time with her daughters and their families, where she knew how deeply she was loved.

Shelley was preceded in death by her brother, Rodney; mother and father; husband, Bob; and stepdaughter, Jane Laakso.

She is survived by her two daughters, G'Ann Shannon (Pete) Boese of Mauston, WI and Ni'Cole Shannon (John) Barker of Cohasset, MN; stepson, John Laakso of Hibbing, MN; three grandsons, Gavin (Alex) Goulet of Coleraine, MN, Tyler (Stacia) Boyum of Cologne, MN, and Brandon Boyum of St. Louis Park, MN; three great-grandchildren, William "Will" Goulet, Emmett Boyum, and Olivia Boyum; her sister, Mary Ann Hayford of Duluth, MN; brother, Maurice (Joan) Strand of Duluth, MN; and nephew, Max (Allie) Strand of Minneapolis, MN.

Per Shelley's wishes, no services will be held.