Lundo!

All Weekend: We will be observing all MASK and Covid 19 Guidance Prevailing at the Time, and at Each Venue..

Welcome!

Welcome to lundo.org and thanks for visiting. (Note: mikelunden.org forwards here as well). The original construction of this site (9/11/11) is in conjunction with the 10-year anniversary. The site is a let's-have-fun tribute and acts as a museum, a catalog, a reminder, and as a celebration.

Most directly, the purpose of the site is for Mike's son Matthew. Through the passage of the 10th-year date, Matthew himself is 10 years-old. The vision is to share with Matthew, upon the 20th year, the love and lore and laughs that made Mike's spirit so special to so many. A poignant memory of Mike lives in many, and each Mike memory may be meaningful to Matthew.

Published: November 2, 2001

Michael P. Lunden: The Perennial Best Man

Michael P. Lunden's friends always said he was worth waiting for, an assertion he tested frequently. "They called him the Human Rain Delay," said Michelle Lunden, who married him even though he was 20 minutes late to their first date.

People would wait for Mr. Lunden, 37, because, basically, no event could start without him. He was the constant center of an ever-widening social circle, a member of 26 wedding parties, a hyperfriendly guy in a loud Brooks Brothers shirt who introduced himself to each and every waiter, bartender and vineyard keeper he came into contact with.

When Mr. Lunden was not cocooning (loudly) with Michelle and their 10-month- old son at their Manhattan home or their weekend place on the North Fork of Long Island, or playing Friend's Best Man for the umpteenth time, or touting a new merlot, he was an energy trader at Cantor Fitzgerald.

The night before Mr. Lunden's memorial service, a few of his pals  about 85 of them, actually  got together at his favorite steakhouse, Smith & Wollensky. "Somebody said that only Michael would have a rehearsal dinner for his funeral," Ms. Lunden said. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani happened to be eating there. He went over to see what all the noise was about and ended up donning a baseball cap that said "Lundo!!" and giving a speech about the indomitable spirit of the city.

Matthew & Michelle

Matthew and Michelle are doing great. They live in Manhasset, NY (Michelle's hometown). Matthew's now in the 5 grade (see his stats in baseball card at right). In 2005, Michelle married Dave Pegno (actually, Dave was a friend of Mike's as a friend of Mike's friends @ Georgetown '86); Dave's hometown also is Manhasset and Dave has two college-aged sons from a previous marriage).

Throughout the periods of both the initial tragedy and shock and then the years afterward, Michelle's grace has enriched the lives of all around her: most importantly, with her son with Michael, Matthew.

About Mike (b: 6/15/64): Lundo!

Mike's reputation (and his booming voice just ahead of his girth) preceded his arrival. As a friend, or as a friend of a friend, or as a friend of a friend to be a friend with by the end of a night amongst friends, or as a jokester or as a prankster, mike was the life of the party. That's the man (myth) called Lundo! to all the many many circles of friends that Mike was within (usually at center): his family, his friends from Chicago (in Northbrook and St. Norbert's and from Loyola), his college buddies (Marquette and Fairfield) and from life in New York City (bonds/Cantor/Downtown & Uptown as well as Michelle/Matthew/Cutchogue plus other groups like his friends from Holy Cross).

About The Museum

Mike was a pack-rat: he kept everything. Really: nearly everything (it seems; just look for your direct connection). So when John visited Michelle in October of 2001(the visit had been scheduled between Mike and John in the month of August, just weeks prior to 9/11) with a post-9/11 offer to Michelle "to go through Mike's stuff" and to clear out his stuff as part of the process, well, john came upon the "stuff for your collection". See more....

Matthew John Lunden

Birth date: 12/27/00
Age: 10
Height: 4" 8' (or 9')
Weight: 80 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Hometown: Manhasset, NY
Summer: Cutchogue, NY
School: Munsey Park (Manhasset)
Hobbies: XBox (NBA 2K11)
Sports/Golf (surprise):
9 Holes: 62-63
18: 130
Sports/Other: Basketball (small forward); a little Baseball (2nd base or center); Football (defensive lineman); Swimming (competition) Favorite Food: Fettucine Carbonara; anything but Ketchup
Good Things Done This Past Year: I've been playing trumpet (in NYSMA competition); I've gotten grades up higher; I've gotten better at golf game (putting and off-tee)