John Dale Fernlund, 83
John Dale Fernlund, seaman, engineer, craftsman, golfer, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died Jan. 11, 2011, from pneumonia following a stroke. Born Sept. 4, 1927, in Cook, Minn., to Frank and Ida Cordelia Fernlund, John was the fifth of six children.
He helped run the family hunting resort on Lake Vermillion until he left home at age 15 to join the Merchant Marines. John traveled the world, swimming in the Amazon and docking in Shanghai, where he met Carol Pavlovska, the daughter of a Czechoslovakian importer/exporter and a White Russian refugee. They married at the American Consulate July 16, 1948, and stayed happily married for 62 years.
The birth of daughters in 1949 and 1955 prompted John to leave the sea to stay close to his family. He worked full time as a city bus driver in San Francisco while he attended Healds Engineering College full time. He graduated in three years with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.
A job in ceramic engineering took John and his family south to Glendale, Calif., where he eventually was hired by Hughes Aircraft. At Hughes, he worked in the infant stages of the computer industry as well as on the Titan boosters for rockets heading into space. His classified work took him from California to Ohio to Washington, D.C., until he retired in 1989. He moved with Carol from San Pedro, Calif., to Coeur d'Alene in 1995 to be near his daughter.
An avid golfer and skier, John played on two continents as he and Carol traveled throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. Together they took wood-working classes and built stylish furniture for their home and toys and dollhouses for their three granddaughters. He built and programmed his first home computer. John was respected by all for his flawless character, sharp intellect and deep love of family.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; daughters Cynthia Taggart of Coeur d'Alene and Sherry Short of Diamond Bar, Calif.; granddaughters Kristen Spencer of Burlington, N.C., Lindsay Taggart Rutherford of Philadelphia, Pa., and Megan Taggart Wolfe of Seattle, Wash.; great-grandchildren Anya Rutherford and Bruce Wolfe.
Family will celebrate his life this summer.