Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Wayne John 'Jack' Komsi

IRONWOOD, Mich. - Wayne John "Jack" Komsi, 84, of Montreal, Wis., died Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, in Ironwood.

Jack was born to the late Wayne and Aili (Sorvala) Komsi in Sault Ste Marie. When Wayne Sr. died, Aili moved back to Hurley, Wis., with her two young sons. Jack worked at the Sorvala Service Station in Hurley throughout high school.

Upon his graduation from Hurley in 1949, Jack joined the U.S. Army to serve in the Korean War. Jack served as a proud Rakkasan paratrooper with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in Korea. He was also a munitions handler. When he was discharged in 1952, he had earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal, Occupation Medal (Japan), Service Medal with one star, and the UN Service Medal.

He then served in the U.S. Marine Corp Reserves until he signed up for active duty in 1955. As a Marine, he was stationed in the United States, Okinawa and Vietnam.

Jack retired from the Marines in 1970, having earned The National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.

He was a member of the American Legion Post 58 of Hurley, and a life member of VFW Post 1580, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 529, and the Marine Corps League.

Jack then kept busy as a White Pine security officer, a fire spotter for the Department of Natural Resources in the Iron Belt Tower, where he wrote a poetry collection titled, "The Collected Works of the Loose Nut in the Iron Belt Tower," and as a ranger in the Porcupine Mountains and Apostle Islands. He also took many courses at Gogebic Community College and received a degree in parks and recreation.

An avid hunter and trapper, Jack enjoyed outfoxing Harold almost as much as he enjoyed the beauty of nature. Jack was usually carrying a rifle, canoe paddles, a beer, or some combination of the three. Jack was also a dog lover who always carried dog biscuits to hand out to the dogs he saw along the walking route in Montreal.

Those who knew him best enjoyed Jack's poetry about the beauty of nature and love. He also wrote about the humorous side of life and work and love.

He lost his wife of 59 years, Jeannette, on Oct. 22, 2015.

He is survived by their children, Terrilynn (Michael) Ratzel, Rotonda West, Fla., Aileen Potter, Erwin Township, Wayne (Michelle) Komsi III, North Vernon, Ind., Thomas Komsi, Kill Devil Hills, N.C .; their grandchildren, Lori Abney, Beaumont, Texas, Bryan (Marcia) Sieradzki, Mukwonago, Wis., Vikki Warrick, Duluth, Minn., Shawn (Chelsea) Warrick, Federal Way, Wash., Krystin Mieloszyk, Montreal, Kyle Mieloszyk, Montreal, Kimberly (Darrin) Traczyk, Lake Elmo, Minn., Belinda (Joe) Bickford, Lac du Flambeau, Wis., Rebeka (Nate Webb) Komsi, Sardinia, Ind., Robbyn Komsi and Wayne J. Komsi IV of North Vernon; nine great-grandchildren; his brother, William C. (Carol) Komsi, DePere, Wis .; nieces, Diane Komsi and Karin Barrett; cousins, Carol Westeen, Hurley, Chris Jarvi, Ironwood, Shirley Hockenbrock, Washburn, Wis., and Fred Sorvala, Dallas.

Jack was also preceded in death by many furry four-legged friends.

A service with full military honors will be held Saturday, Dec. 19, at Ketola-Burla Funeral Home, 635 E. Ayer St., in Ironwood. Visitation is at 10 a.m., service at 11 a.m. Military rites will be accorded by American Legion Post 5 of Ironwood. Honorary pallbearers will be from the Marine Corps League. The family will also be honoring their mother, Jeannette, at this service. Their interment will be at Riverside Cemetery of Ironwood.

A luncheon will be served following the service at Rigoni's Inn, 925 E. Ayer St., Ironwood.

From Jack's notebook, "I am not going anywhere, I am only on the way."

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