Michelle Burns (Buffington)

It is with the heaviest of hearts that the family of Michelle Lynn Burns (Buffington) shares her passing on October 21, 2026 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids after a courageous battle with cancer. A celebration of life ceremony will be held at a later date. All who knew and loved her are welcome to attend.

The light of our lives, Michelle Lynn Thein was brought into this world on April 30, 1971 in Manchester, Iowa. She was raised by her loving parents Ron and Frieda Brown in Edgewood, Iowa where she attended Edgewood-Colesburg High School. In her junior year she chose to proudly serve her country by enlisting in the United States Army Reserve. Upon graduation from high school in 1989 she changed her enlistment status to active duty for the remainder of her military career. In her 10 years as a soldier she was able to touch the lives of others while serving at duty stations in Texas, Germany, and Hawaii. Also during this time she brought her two wonderful children Kate and Tyler into the world. Following her honorable discharge in 1998, she moved to Ohio where she attended Wright State University and acquired her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She later was accepted as a doctoral student at the University of Iowa’s Neuroscience program where she was able to reunite with her family in Iowa. After her time at the University of Iowa, she accepted a job working for Procter & Gamble in Iowa City where she met her future husband Robin in 2009. Michelle and Robin eventually moved to Cedar Rapids, where she accepted a job at Quaker Oats and spent the next 13 years brightening the lives of those around her and building a life full of adventure and laughter with their dogs, family and friends.

In 2024, Michelle was diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma which is a rare bile duct cancer. Despite the odds given at the time, she chose to fight and maintained optimism, humor, and faith through the entire journey. Nurses and fellow patients at chemo often asked her how she maintained her good attitude, to which she always responded with her faith. In 2025, amid her battle with cancer, she welcomed and got to know her youngest grandson Jonah who brought immeasurable joy and a renewed sense of hope to her final chapters.

Michelle approached her life with determination, curiosity and adventure, running marathons, hiking, reading (many) books as well as authoring two books, gardening, weeding that garden, singing karaoke, learning to play musical instruments, shooting sports, and riding her motorcycle. Above all, she loved her dogs, family, and maintained pride in having served her country and also participated in activities to help her fellow veterans.

Michelle was preceded in death by her beloved father Ron Brown in 2024, for whom she held the utmost love and admiration. She leaves behind her loving family, including her mother Frieda Brown, husband Robin, daughter Kate (Keith) Brown and grandson Jonah, son Tyler (Mackenzie) Buffington and grandchildren Leila, Mason, Maddy, and Harry, brother Michael (Lori) Brown, and nieces Liz and Brenna. All of whom will cherish her memory and the love she brought into their lives.