John Pietila

John A. Pietila, 67, of Lake Park, MN, died Monday, Oct. 14, 2013 in his home, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

John Alan Pietila was born February 7th, 1946 in Park Rapids, MN to Helen and Emil Pietila.

He graduated from Menahga High School in 1964 and attended Bemidji State College where he graduated 1968 with a BS degree in Mathematics Education.
John met Anita Swanson at Bemidji in the Lutheran Student Center and they were married June 1st, 1969. They lived in Deer Creek where he taught math and coached football. In 1970 they moved to Lake Park, MN were he taught math and coached for 32 years and retired in 2002. He also worked on the railroad, farmed, and in construction.

He was a member of Lake Park Lutheran Church, a Charter member of Lake Park Lions Club and a member of the Minnesota Education Association. He was a highly skilled carpenter and creative craftsman who made furniture, toys, gifts, and completed other household projects. John also enjoyed restoring cars including a 1931 Ford Model A and a 1951 Pontiac Chieftain among others. John took great joy flying his Ultralight plane and even built a hang glider.

John was preceded in death by his parents, brother Emil Evald Pietila and sister Joyce Pietila.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Anita; children Karen Dill of Tacoma, WA, Kathryn James Jensen of Anchorage, AK, Kim Pietila of Detroit Lakes, MN, John Leslie Pietila of Richfield, MN and grandchildren Talya, Liam, Kyra, Caleb, Connie, and Jack, and brothers Alden Pietila, Jerome Marie Pietila, and Tom Pietila.

Memorials may be given to the Lion’s Club Diabetes Research Fund.