John Letourneau

John Edward Letourneau 80, of Duluth passed away on Wednesday December 11, 2013, 40 years to the day after his beloved wife Diane.

John was born on June 26, 1933 in Duluth to Arthur and Alice Letourneau, the fifth of nine children.

On October 1st 1955 John married Diane Rosemary Tarnowski, the love of his life, in Duluth. They raised four children together until her untimely death in 1973.

John grew up in the shadows of the ski jumps at Chester Bowl and took up ski jumping at an early age and actively competed locally and around the country thru his late teens.

On Sunday February 22nd 1948 the First National Junior Ski Jumping Tournament in history was held at Chester Bowl in Duluth. with 2500 spectators on hand, John took 1st Place in the Class B division, he was only 14.

John was a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard for 10 years. John work twenty years for the DM&IR Railroad and fifteen years for Como Oil Company. In the early 1980's he formed various construction and service companies that operated in and around Duluth for the next 25 years.

John had many accomplishments over his lifetime but none meant more to him than his children. John grieved the loss of Diane every single day over the last 40 years but is now with her once again.

He is survived by his children, Natalie (Ryan) Sjoberg, Duluth; Edward (Carolyn) Letourneau, Duluth; Robert Letourneau, Duluth; John Letourneau Jr, Duluth; brother, Mike (Denise) Letourneau, Duluth; sisters, Kathleen (Peter) Tobias, Sunnyvale, CA; Dorothy Hughes, Minneapolis, MN; Phyllis (Robert) Galarneault, Minneapolis, MN.

He was preceded in death by his wife Diane, parents Arthur and Alice Letourneau, brothers, Arthur Letourneau Jr,, Donald Letourneau, Phillip Letourneau and sister, Mary Joan Armstrong

The family wishes to thank the following for all the years of excellent care John received: St. Luke's Hospital, St. Luke's Hospice, Dr. Kurt Kamper, Dr. Sandy Popham, Fresenius Medical Care - Duluth Dialysis.

Visitation will be from 5 -7 P.M on Wednesday Dec. 18th 2013 at Dougherty Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will continue on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013 from 10 A.M until the 11:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial in St. Benedict's Catholic Church.

Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Duluth, MN.

Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home, 600 E. 2nd Street, Duluth, MN. 218-727-3555