Meghan Kalinowski
Dec. 17, 1979–Sept. 3, 2026
Meghan Marie Feldner Kalinowski passed away Sept. 3, 2026, at age 46. A vibrant human and enthusiastic participant in life, Meghan sought memorable adventures in all corners of the earth and rarely did anything halfway.
Meghan grew up in Fond du Lac (“Fondy”), Wis., a place that shaped her affinity for cheese and storytelling, taught her how to throw a proper spiral and gave her the kind of friendships that could start on a Big Wheel and span over 40 years. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she met her future husband, Paul.
She loved the thrill of traveling in other countries and the peace of the family cabin on Woman Lake. She was deeply curious about the world around her, from celebrity gossip and school board shenanigans to her kids’ activities and the lives of every person she knew. Meghan paid attention. She wanted to know, understand and have an opinion.
She had a hilarious wit, and her generous laughter made everyone around her feel funny, too. She rejoiced in her hot hand at bingo. She was always on the winning team in Catch Phrase and introduced many friends to Wordle, a fitting obsession for someone who scored a perfect 36 on the reading section of the ACT.
Whether it was sailing Lake Superior, biking to Bemidji, studying Spanish in Ecuador, skiing with her family or taking Wynn to see Taylor Swift and Brandt to Minnesota Loons games, Meghan plunged into experiences that made her feel alive. Sometimes literally. She ran full speed into bodies of water, which was an apt metaphor for how she approached life: Once Meghan decided something was worth doing, she was fully in.
She Was All In
She Loved Fiercely & Lived Fully
Nothing mattered more to Meghan than Paul, Brandt and Wynn. She planned comedy shows, football games, cabin weekends and international trips, always finding ways to be together and soak up their smiles. She delighted in who her kids were becoming and was enormously proud of them. She wanted them to have everything they needed, especially the certainty that they were loved beyond measure. She deeply loved Paul, her partner through the beautiful, complicated, and rewarding work of building that life and family together. She also dutifully cared for their doodle and supreme cuddler, Bungey.
Meghan brought that same devotion to her parents, sister, extended family, Abbott and Cargill colleagues and her remarkable constellation of friends, including the Mom Squad. She invested in people. She remembered the details of their lives, asked the next question, dug deeper and cared about the answer.
After she was diagnosed with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, Meghan approached the impossible much as she approached everything else. She researched the latest science and made multiple plans when no roadmap existed. Cancer is not the most interesting thing about Meghan’s life. The way she lived it is.
Meghan is survived by her beloved husband, Paul; their son, Brandt, 13; their daughter, Wynn, 10; her parents, Richard and Judy (Pierstorff) Feldner; her sister, Nicole Feldner, and her husband, Brian Hess; their children, Clay and Brock; her brother-in-law, Michael Kalinowski, and his wife, Greta Josephson; their children, Luka and Hadley; and her father-in-law, Jon Kalinowski, and his partner, Rosemary Krawczyk. She was preceded in death by her mother-in-law, Joanne Brandt; and grandparents Edmund and Irene (Webb) Feldner; Roy Pierstorff and Patricia (Boyington) Pierstorff McLaughlin, and Charles McLaughlin, Patricia’s second husband and a cherished grandfather to Meghan.
In Meghan’s honor, take the cold plunge. Ride farther. Learn something new. Have an opinion. Plan the trip. Scheme an elaborate prank. Laugh until you cry. Pay attention. Love your people with all your heart.
A private family memorial will be held in September. A celebration of life for Meghan’s friends and family will be held in Golden Valley later this fall. Sign up below for details.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Brandt and Wynn’s college funds.
Checks can be made payable to “Fidelity” and mailed to: Guardian Wealth Strategies
Attn: Kalinowski 529 Plan
In Memory of Meghan Kalinowski
6465 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 230
Minneapolis, MN 55426