John Cole died Thursday at 102 years young.
John, who went by “Jack,” was born in Dorr on Oct. 8, 1920, to Ralph and Ida Cole (Strickfaden), who preceded him in death.
He enlisted in the Army at the age of 19 for what was intended to be a one-year tour of duty. The bombing of Pearl Harbor altered that plan and he served his country during WW II with tours that took him to North Africa and Italy. He is a member of the American Legion, and on his 100th birthday he was awarded a lifetime membership.
After returning from the service, he met his wife, Barbara Blain, and they were married Nov. 17, 1946. He worked for Spartan Stores until his retirement in 1977.
Jack provided well for his family, building one of the first cottages on Dumont Lake where they spent their summers, as well as a cabin in Brethren for fall getaways. After retirement, he and Barbara enjoyed traveling and took several road trips throughout the states.
His hobbies were fishing, baking and playing cards, but not necessarily in that order. He had a passion for fishing and spent countless hours on local lakes. He grew up with a card-playing family and was ruthless in the game of pinochle. He found way too much enjoyment in setting his opponents. In his later years, John found a new hobby of baking and became known in the area as “The Baker” since he would often bake cookies, breads and muffins to distribute to neighbors and shut-ins from the church.
As a young boy he would help his grandfather deliver mail with horse and buggy. In the first years of his life, the Model T became the first affordable car. He saw the collapse of Wall Street, lived through the Dust Bowl Era, The Great Depression and FDR’s “New Deal.” He saw so much invention in the world and eventually adapted to the technology of today. He was eager to tell his daughters to “Google It” when he wanted to find out about something or look for a new recipe.
He is survived by his wife of 76 years, Barbara; and children John (Cheryl) Cole, Bill Cole, Becky (Bruce) Zimmerman, David (Linda) Cole, and Sally Cole; along with former daughter-in-law, Pam Cole, who has always held a special place in his heart. He leaves behind 11 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren; along with many nieces and nephews, most notably, Francis Coughlin, whom he affectionately referred to as “Shanty Irish.”
Siblings preceding him in death were his brother, William Cole and his wife, Leona; brother, Keith and his wife, Betty; sister, Marguerite (Sis) Coughlin and her husband, Stan; as well as in-laws Sam and Naomi Blain; brother-in-law, Don Blain and his wife, Irene; grandchildren Noah Cole and Jessica (Cole) Hallgren. He has also seen many nieces and nephews pass before him.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, at Kubiak-Cook – Dorr Chapel, 4330 18th St., with visitation one hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Faith Hospice or Project Hope in Dorr.
