Michael D. "Mike" Pearson

Michael D. "Mike" Pearson, 72, of Lawrence, passed away on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. He was born November 10, 1953 in Wichita, the son of Mark S. and Joan K. (Rush) Pearson. His family relocated to Lenexa, Kansas from Wichita, Kansas, in the mid 1960’s to Mike’s delight and development and pursuit of snake hunting.

Mike graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in 1971 and went on to attend Johnson County Community College and also attended votech GM Auto-body School.

Out of high school, Mike befriended and became part of a shop in Eudora Kansas, that was owned and operated by Jim Huseby. Jim mentored Mike in the art of metal finishing with car repairs. Jim always included Mike in his families lives there in Eudora and the 2 built a small business reputation for being sports car enthusiasts. Mike flourished to become quite the artist and metal finisher which was fast becoming a lost art in the collision repair industry. Through those business dealings Mike developed a whole host of friendships that have lasted to this day.

After marrying Debbie in 1978 at Shawnee Mission park in Shawnee Mission, he moved to Lawrence, Kansas for employment. Mike worked at several dealerships and independent shops before settling in and establishing he and Debbie’s own business, which was established in 1980 as “Pearson Body Shop.” In 1996 the business was changed to Pearson Collision Repair, Inc. That same year, Mike and Debbie had their first child and bought their house.

The following years after 1980 brought two new babies in the less than 650 square-foot house. Mike with some help from some friends added an upstairs to their salt box original house. He went from the artistic ability to fix a car, to the artistic ability to do carpentry in the blink of an eye. He was truly a man of all trades.

Later years brought to him the love of flower gardening. In Mike’s Later years he was able to enjoy the luxury of volunteer work. He was a member of the SCCA and was active in volunteer work in club racing, as well as was a member of the British car club.

In business, Mike and Debbie advocated for the consumer and helped to mediate negotiations between the customer and insurance companies with disputes. Mike loved people and went over and beyond most business-like customer services, to make sure that the company had a customer for life.

Survivors include his wife, Debbie, children, Josh Pearson, Ryan Pearson, and Laura Newman, two grandchildren, Nicolla Pearson, Eleanor Newman, and his siblings, Karen Oster and Michelle Kidwell.

A Celebration of Mike’s Life will be announced as soon as possible. Private inurnment will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Family Promises of Lawrence Kansas, https://lawrencefamilypromise.org/, or to the Glioblastoma Society, https://glioblastomafoundation.org/about/ceo-message/.

Dove Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave.is assisting the family with service arrangements.

To leave the family a special message, please utilize the guestbook entries area shown below.