Michelle Lee Kulasingham

Michelle “Shelly” Lee Knutson Cox Kulasingham, 51, of Detroit Lakes, MN, passed away last Monday, June 3, 2024, at Essentia Health Hospital in Fargo. 

Michelle was born on August 9, 1972, to Wayne and Leslie (Kensok) Knutson in Grand Forks, ND. She graduated from Hawley High in 1990 and attended MSUM and NDSU where she became an Alpha Gamma Delta. Throughout her youth, she spent time at her family cabin on Lake Little McDonald, showing up her brothers at waterskiing while also earning the title of Miss Hawley in high school. She then married Todd Sparrow, and together they had Tyler. After their divorce, she married Terry Austin and resided in Kansas City, Missouri where she did some modeling and worked at Harrah’s Casino. They then had their daughter, Alyssa. 

Michelle and Alyssa moved to Detroit Lakes, where she met Shivan Kulasingham. They united in marriage and had three children, Alec, Kylie, and Kamala. She continued to live in Detroit Lakes until her passing. Michelle and Shivan were married just shy of 21 years this August. Michelle’s family was the most important thing in her life and she was thrilled when she became a grandmother to Tripp Sparrow this January. She loved meeting new people and made friends wherever she went, especially at local convenience stores. Her kids joked about how long it took her to go shopping because she would converse with everyone around her. There wasn’t a day that went by where Shelly didn’t thank a veteran for his/her service either. Michelle’s vibrant personality shone through her diverse interests; she was not only a devoted mother and wife but also had a deep passion for music. Whether she was driving around town or cooking, her love of music at high volumes and the clinking of her bracelets announced her presence. When not caring for her children, you could find Michelle spending her time near the water with her husband or eagerly waiting for the end of winter. Although she never admitted to loving the family dog (Luna), you could count on finding her every night with the dog in her lap while watching Fox News or a sitcom. Michelle enjoyed traveling to warmer climates with her family, especially to Jamaica, to sit by the ocean or the pool all day. She was recognized by most by her flair for fashion, expressing herself through her appearance by wearing unique sundresses, large sunglasses no matter the weather, bright acrylic nails in the shade of “Hipster Pink”, and her countless pieces of jewelry.

Michelle is survived by her husband, Shivan; children Tyler (Jillian), Alyssa (Dre), Alec, Kylie, and Kamala; grandson Tripp; mother Leslie Cox; siblings Tony (Mireille), Andy (Carissa), Rob (Nicole), Ted (Bethany), and Christine Knutson. Also survived by her grandmother Margaret Kensok, father-in-law Kulam Kulasingham, mother-in-law Kamalini Kulasingham, sisters-in-law Shaneka (Ian) Poon and Renuka (Sudip) Ghosh, and numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She is preceded in death by her father Dale Cox, father Wayne Knutson, grandfather Linus Kensok, grandparents Orville and Eileen Knutson, and grandparents George and Beulah Cox. 

The family of Michelle Lee Kulasingham gratefully acknowledges your attendance and many kind expressions of sympathy during their time of loss. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the Lakes Crisis and Resource Center in honor of Michelle’s legacy of kindness and compassion.

Visitation will be Friday, June 14, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., with a prayer service beginning at 7:00 P.M., at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Hawley, MN. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 11:00 A.M., with visitation from 10:00 to 11:00 A.M., at the church.  Final resting place will be at Hawley Cemetery.