John Cole

Surrounded by members of his family, John Cole peacefully passed away at 102 years young. John, who went by “Jack,” was born in Dorr, Michigan October 8, 1920 to Ralph and Ida Cole (Strickfaden) who preceded him in death. 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.

He will be lovingly remembered 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, who he affectionately referred to as “Shanty Irish."

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 proudly 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 November 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. Their best trips were those set out with no destination in mind.

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 centurion, one can only imagine the changes that he witnessed in his lifetime. 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 will be greatly missed on this earth but we take comfort in knowing he is with family in Heaven who have been waiting on him to deal the next hand.

The family would like to thank the staff at Faith Hospice. Their dedication and care during his final journey brought us all such a comfort. We also appreciate the help from home aides, Tayler and Lydia. They brought him many laughs.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at Kubiak-Cook - Dorr Chapel, 4330 18th St., Dorr, MI 49323, with visitation one hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Faith Hospice or Project Hope in Dorr. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at kubiakcookdorr.com.