Michelle was born on February 3, 1960, in Topeka and died on February 13, 2025, at the age of 65.

As a child, her military family travelled from Kansas to Japan, before settling in Tacoma, Washington, where she graduated from Mount Tahoma High School in June 1978. Later that year she enlisted in the US Navy where she met her future husband, Jeffrey. They went on to have three children, Matthew, Sabrina and Naomi. When her marriage ended, she turned to her true calling. Educating small children with special needs. She was proud of her bachelor's and master's degrees in early childhood education with an emphasis on special education, and she used those to teach children from birth to middle school. Her hobbies included reading, walking and quilting. Many of her family and friends have benefited from her quilting skills.

She is survived by her children, Matthew Carroll of Wyoming; Sabrina (Chris) Kemp of Colorado; and Naomi Street of Montana; her sister Therese (Richard) Nation of Tacoma; her best friend of 44 years, SarahAnn (Mike) Lewis of Minnesota; her ex-husband Jeffrey Carroll of Illinois, and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys and William Affholter; her brother, Jack Beardsley; and her sisters Billie Mazza and Dorrene Weed.