Donald A. Pontti
Donald Alexander Pontti, aged 90, passed away in his sleep peacefully at home in Kodiak on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Born in Ishpeming, Michigan, to Jarl Alexander and Martha Holma Pontti, Don attended Jackson High School and Jackson Junior College before enlisting in the U.S. Army, serving as a master sergeant (E-7) in the Korean War as a tank commander.
Upon discharge from the Army, Don continued taking college classes, working nights and weekends, playing independent football with the Jackson Lions, learning to fly, and purchasing his own Piper Cub. He attended Northern Michigan University, lettered in football and graduated with a B.S. in education, with a major in geography and minors in biology, English and history.