A Celebration of Life for Mike Hartnett, 76, will be 10:30 am Thursday, September 15, 2022, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow in Springdale Cemetery in Peoria, Illinois.
Mike passed away on September 6, 2022, in Lawrence, KS.
He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 13, 1946, to Leo J. (Jan) and Arabella (Dolly) Hartnett. He graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. Mike met his future wife, Barbara, in high school in 1963. They married the day after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1968. Mike was a life-long Chicago White Sox fan.
Mike was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Barbara.
Mike was a leader in the craft industry serving as editor of multiple trade magazines and ultimately starting his own publication, Creative Leisure News. In 2020, he was elected to the Association for Creative Industries Hall of Fame.
After retiring in 2013, Mike engaged his passion for writing and teaching. His book, “And I Cried, Too: Confronting Evil in a Small Town, A memoir,” was published in 2019. He was a volunteer instructor and co-leader of the Douglas County Jail creative writing class.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to Best Friends Animal Society, Altrusa Foundation of Lawrence, or Just Food, in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. The celebration will be live-streamed and available on the Rumsey-Yost Facebook page.
