John Power JR

Dr. John Edward Power Jr., or "Jack," 95, died April 29, 2016, with his family beside him in Duluth.
Born March 19, 1921, in Duluth, Jack was the firstborn to Dr. John Sr. and Rachel (Foley) Power. Growing up, he went to elementary school at Holy Rosary, where he was also an altar boy. When he wasn't practicing the violin, he and his Irish-twin brother Tom, were either hunting or fishing Duluth's woods and streams, or playing hockey at Longview, wearing make-shift shin pads created from scandalous magazines.
When he was 15, Jack began his lifelong passion for flying. After school, he'd sneak out of his home to the Superior airport to learn how to fly biplanes. By 16, he was the 5,716th American to get their pilot's license.
After graduating from Duluth Central in 1939, Jack pursued a life in community service as an ophthalmologist, earning his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago in 1946 and completing his medical rotations in the same city at Cook County Hospital a year later. While studying in the Windy City, Jack rode his Harley to Milwaukee on weekends to visit his favorite aunts, Ruth and Bess Foley. He earned his degree in ophthalmology from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities School of Medicine in 1950.
During the Korean War, he was a U.S. Air Force flight surgeon. While stationed in San Antonio, Texas, he'd visit his Northwestern college roommate, Dr. John Ray, in New Orleans. It was during one of these visits, Ray introduced Jack to his bride, Beverly Barry, a native of Lafayette, La. They married in 1954 in Grand Coteau, La., whereupon Jack brought his cajun bride home to the snowy 46th latitude of Duluth. Together, they raised four children, John E. III, Theresa, Pamela and Barry - all of whom attended Jack's elementary alma mater.
Jack began his Duluth ophthalmology career working alongside his father in the downtown Medical Arts Building. When his father retired, Jack worked for hospitals St. Luke's, St. Mary's and Miller Dwan and ran his own Duluth practice, Eye Associates, with Dr. Robert Hollenhorst until 1988. Jack also ran a satellite office in International Falls, commuting in his bush planes between 1967-80.
In total, he owned eight planes throughout his life - a Piper Cub, Super Cub, two Cessna 180s, a Cessna 185 and a Stinson. But flying was more than just a means of travel for Jack, it was a lifestyle. When hunting for a lake cabin, his main requirement was that the lake be long enough for his float planes to take-off, which eventually led him to make a home on Schulz Lake in Gnesen Township.
His friends consisted of area pilots and doctors - many of whom were both - and together, along with Jack's sons, they flew to arctic regions on fishing adventures, using finger-on-map dead-reckoning navigation. His favorite fishing camp was on Lake Nipigon in Ontario where he'd troll for giant brook trout. While on these wilderness adventures, Jack cared for the medical needs of folks he encountered, accepting blueberries and fish as payment.
As a Duluthian, many people knew Jack as the man who gave them their first glasses. Memories of these patients always brought tears of gratitude to his eyes. Even after he retired, Jack continued his medical education and treated his friends and family pro bono.
During his retirement, he also stayed active as a Duluth Airport Authority board member, second-generation Kitchi Gammi Club member, Bulldog hockey aficionado (1972 Fan of the Year), ice-cream grandpa and Schulz Lake pontoon-boat captain.
Dr. Power/Jack/Grandpa/Papa or "boyfriend," as Bev called him, will be remembered for his big heart, joyful optimism, grizzly bear hugs, baseball-mitt hands, Irish pride and gentle blue eyes. He will be dearly missed by his children; sons-in-law Bernard Harrington (Pamela) and Carlo del Ninno (Theresa); daughter-in-law Joanne Power (Barry); grandchildren Thomas, Matteo, Marilisa, Ryan, Elly, Nick and Gavin; and great-grandson Telos.
May he rest easy in heaven with his parents, and brothers Tom and David, and get all the head rubs his heart desires.
VISITATION: 4-6 p.m. today, with a wake prayer at 4 p.m. followed by a visitation until 6 p.m. in Dougherty Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial begins 11 a.m. Monday, May 2, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, 2801 E. Fourth St. Burial with military honors accorded by the Duluth Honor Guard at Calvary Cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his wife, Beverly Power's, name to the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library at 388 Sixth Ave. S.E., Faribault, Minn., 55021.