Michael Francis Lee Bellile

Michael Francis Lee Bellile, of Grand Forks, ND passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, at the age of 40 years.

The Wake for Michael will be on Monday, January 12, 2026 at St. Michael's Wellness Center beginning at 4:00 p.m. with a time of Prayer and Remembrance at 7:00 p.m. The procession to St. Michael will leave on Monday at 3:00 p.m. from City Plaza.

The Funeral Service will be at St. Michael's Wellness Center on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Michael was born to Christian Smith and Peter Bellile in Devils Lake, North Dakota on June 11, 1985. He was greatly loved from the first moment he was named Takoja as “eldest grandson.” Many relatives would nickname him Tugz as such.

Michael grew in his childhood in the Devils Lake area always finding his place in the trees of the woods, creeks, rivers, and lakes of the surrounding wilderness as well as the town of Devils Lake always finding fun and mischief with his uncles, cousins, siblings, and friends. He spent more childhood times in Fargo where the “Big City” first caught his eye. In his teenage years, he lived in Sisseton, South Dakota where he enjoyed new landscapes to explore and enjoyed many fond times with relatives and friends, he had so far from Devils Lake, yet he always felt home.

Michael earned his G.E.D. and after attending Kicking Horse Job Corps in Ronan, Montana, where he found his gift for building and carpentry. He enjoyed creating things with his hands from any material. His mind always seemed to know how things could look before it could be.

He moved to Watertown, SD, to begin his adult life where he worked as a framer for homes. It’s there his son, Kaeden was born. He was very proud to become a father. Afterwards he lived in Fargo, ND and welcomed his daughter, Aiyana, into the world which gave him even more pride as a father. To create such life meant the world for him, to have made his most absolute perfections of this world, for he loved his children fiercely.

He later moved to Grand Forks, ND and built more. He aspired to create a business with such skill for carpentry. It did not seem to be just a profession to him but another way he wanted to create more beautiful things in this world. IN later years he traveled to Ocean Shores, Washington, where he continued his skill of carpentry. There are still homes, buildings, decks, and finished cabinetry built by Michael’s hand you can see today from the Dakotas to the shores of the western ocean. He fell in love with the ocean in Washington for its bays were but a short walk that he always took advantage of. He loved its beaches, birds, and wondrous sunsets he watched nearly every day.

His adventures brought him from Mt. Saint Helens to hike, the footsteps, and tributes of Kurt Cobain, to endless beaches that he walked on the ocean shorelines with his beloved dog, Koda. He loved music, from many genres, but was often rockin with the classics. “Jammin,” were always therapeutic moments he enjoyed.

Michael loved the outdoors from his childhood to his ventures far away. From walking the land or fishing the waters to watching the sunrise and sunsets of many landscapes. He loved the thunder and lightning of storms in summer, the glitter of snow in the winter, and the glimmer of stars in the night sky. He saw beauty in places all around. He returned home to North Dakota in the spring of 2025, to be closer to family and loved ones where he rekindled love with Christine Mundt. He is loved and cared for deeply by Christine from first sight and forever after his passing.

Michael had an extraordinary soul. He was a loving father who held his children close in his heart, a devout and loving son to his parents, a big brother to many siblings who loved him dearly, a beloved uncle to his many nieces and nephews, a protector and welcoming comfort in times of hardship. A great friend to many, loyal and trusting. He held family bonds sacred and was well known to visit relatives and friends, share stories, and always make people laugh. His humor was unique as was the laugh he had that could always be recognized anywhere. He was bold, adventurous, resilient, and loving above all else. He was a builder, an adventurer, a dreamer, a caring heart for those he loved and for those who loved him.

Michael was met in the after life by his grandparents, Francis “Mutsy” Bellile, Irene Bellile, and Curtis Hill; his aunts and uncles, Margaret (Bellile) Eagle, Joseph Smith, Michael Smith, Florene Smith, Virginia (Smith) TwoStars, Rita (Smith) Volk, Cynthia (Smith) Hunt, Leonard Dumarce, Calvin Smith, Luke Smith, Leonard “Moose” Smith; sibling Loretta “Weezy” WhiteBuffalo; cousins Shaun Bellile, Cindy Volk, Sergio Hunt, Nathan Smith, Amitola LaCroix, Jazlynn Lovin.

Michael is survived by his grandmother, Josephine (Smith) Haagenstad; mother Christina Smith; father Peter Bellile; step father Edward Charboneau; son Kaeden; daughter Aiyana Bellile; siblings Amber Charboneau, Chelsey Charboneau, Jeremie Charboneau, Maverick Herald, Bryce Bellile, Latasha Bellile, Francis “Frankie” Bellile, Darien Waanatan, Alexis Waanatan, Jennifer WhiteBuffalo, Kelsey WhiteBuffalo, Felisha WhiteBuffalo, Kyle Baker as well as all of his many cousins, nieces, and nephews that love him dearly.

Pallbearers will be Jeremie Charboneau, Christopher Lovin, Bryce Bellile, Francis Bellile, Darian Waanatan, Alexis Waanatan, David Smith and Josh Miller.

Honorary Bearers: Peter Bellile (Bonnie), Edward Charboneau, Michael LaCroix, Harriette LaCroix, Cyprian (LaCroix) Aarseth, Sorrel LaCroix, Sierra I. Haagenstad, Lance Lovin, Jakob Werner, Tim Bellile, Tom Bellile, Michael Bellile, Julie Bellile, Nicole Eagle, Serena Eagle, SueAnn Oppergard, Abbe Bellile, Bonnie Dronen, Josh Ortley, Irvin Hill Sr., Irvin “Fonze” Hill, BJ Hill, and Michael’s many relatives of the Bellile Family, Smith Family, Volk Family, Hill Family, White Family, TwoStars, Family and BearHeads Family.