Michael Lee Briggs, 63

Published by editor on Thu, 01/25/2024 - 1:05pm

Michael Lee Briggs, 63, of Grimes, Iowa passed away on Friday, December 15, 2023, at Iowa Methodist Hospital.

Michael was born on a military base in Augsburg, Germany on April 26, 1960, to Robert "Bob" and Connie Kay (Rennick) Briggs. His parents relocated back to the US when he was two. Since his dad was in the Army, over the years the family lived in Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and settled in Shenandoah, Iowa. Michael graduated from Shenandoah High School with the Class of 1978. During his high school he was involved in school plays, was a Thespian, made movies, ran cross country, played freshman football, photography and art. He even had art displayed at the State Capitol in Des Moines. He worked in the fields in Iowa walking beans and detasseling corn, worked for Godfather's Pizza, Hy-Vee, Henry Fields and Earl May. After graduating High School, he attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City where he earned his bachelor's degree in computer science. While attending college, he met the love of his life Sally Woods while working at Perkins. They were married on June 14, 1986 in Sigourney, Iowa. They resided in Iowa City from 1986-1989, then started a family and moved to Washington where they lived from 1990-1999. Then in 1999 built a house in Coralville and lived there until 2011. Over the years Michael worked for NCS, Link USA, Intermec, CBS Market Watch, U-Haul and then Rockwell Collins. In 2012, his family relocated to Grimes where he worked as a Senior Software Engineer at John Deere.

Michael was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, United Methodist Church in Washington and Coralville. He loved spending time with his family, traveling/exploring, Sci-Fi books/movies, Dungeons and Dragons Game Master, volunteering with the Special Olympics, attending ICON conventions, writing, watching storms/stargazing, reading, listening to audio books, photography and attempting to visit all 50 states as he was able to see 49 of them.

Those left to cherish his loving memory are his wife Sally Briggs of 37 years; children Ashley Briggs of Grimes, Jennifer (David) Briggs Eberle of Indianola, and Casey (Makayla) Briggs of West Des Moines; grandchildren Nuada and EmAnimus; sister Barbara Briggs of Oregon; niece and nephew Felisha and Carl Knori of Oregon; Uncle Robert Lau of California; Aunt Nancy Rennick of Oregon; and several other cousins; one sister-in-law; three brother-in-law's and their families.

He was preceded by his parents Bob and Connie Briggs, grandparents Clyde and Ethel Norma (Beck) Briggs, John George and Elizabeth Amy (Elder) Rennick, Uncle Wayne and Aunt Betty (Swanson) Briggs, Aunt Betty Jo (Briggs) Lau; Uncle Melvin Rennick, Uncle Phillip and Aunt Josephine Rennick; and in-laws Edward and Shirley Woods.

Memorial contributions may be directed to his family.

Celebrate Life Iowa has been entrusted with the care of Michael and his family.