John E Post

John E. Post of Duluth passed away October 2, 2022 after a long battle with Lewy Body dementia.

John was born January 10, 1937 in Superior, Wisconsin, son of Ferdinand and Elizabeth (Lederman) Post. John was raised in Superior’s East End across the street from St. Francis church playing basketball at Cathedral, hunting and fishing the Brule, and at the beloved cabin on Lake Minnesuing. His Aunties, Mary and Martha Lederman, were a big part of the cabin life and everyday support. After following his brother Fred to Milwaukee and graduating from Marquette University, John went to work for Honeywell Corporation in Minneapolis focusing on projects to support the Apollo 11 space shuttle mission. It was there he met Patricia Ryan and since they carpooled together to work decided to make it a long-term engagement and married on Sept. 19, 1964. John and Pat started a family shortly after marriage and began a series of crazy adventures the first of which landed them in Juneau, Alaska in 1969 where child # 4 (Jerold, a.k.a. Jerry) was born and John worked for the state in the Department of Labor. An offer to serve as Director of Economic Development for the Northwest Regional Planning commission took the growing family back to the lower 48 in 1971 where they lived in a cabin without running water for 5 months waiting to move into a house in Spooner, WI. The family grew to 7 and the call of the North brought them all back to Juneau in 1975 where John served as the Director of Administrative Services and Research for the Alaska Department of Labor. While the family settled, John traveled frequently to Anchorage and Fairbanks, hiked the surrounding mountains seeking more adventures, and took up long distance running. In 1983, John once again answered the call of adventure, and headed back to Minnesota to serve the MN State Senate as the Director of Counsel and Research and then the Metropolitan Council in St. Paul. He retired from serving on the state level in 1990 and with most of the kids out of the house headed to Bayfield, WI to start a new season in life semi-retired as a real estate agent and appraiser. He and Pat enjoyed the small-town life until Pat’s passing in 1999 and John officially retired in 2005. The family had many wonderful times together and John was humbled by his life and opportunities.

John was always looking for ways to serve his community and church. In his retired years, he served as the Bayfield Carnegie Library Board President and member for over 10 years, Bayfield City Councilor, Bayfield Public Works Committee, and Knights of Columbus. In his working years, he was a coach for the kid’s sports teams and spent countless hours gardening and giving away the fruits of his labor. He carried the gardening passion into retirement and in his final years became focused on ensuring the gardens at Lakeshore Ecumen were tended.

John was preceded in death by his wife Patricia (Pat) (1999), brother Fred (1980), sister, Mary Theriault (1999), and parents Ferdinand (1998) and Elizabeth (1994) and Aunties Mary (1986) and Martha (1992) Lederman.

He is survived by his 5 children, Edmund Post of Eagan; Joel (Lisa) Post of Duluth, MN; Beth (Brandon) Olson of Duluth, MN; Jerold (Dr. Cate Buley) Post of Juneau, AK; Margaret (John) Blomberg of New Ulm, MN; grandchildren Tyler and Madeline Olson; Noatak, Shea, and Georgia Post; Samuel, Benjamin, and Alaina Blomberg and his good friend from Superior, Jerome (Jerry) Olson.

The family would like to thank the wonderful, caring, staff in the memory care unit at Lakeshore Ecumen and those caring for him in his final days at the Solvay Hospice House.

Visitation will be held at 10:00 on Monday, October 10 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Superior, WI with a Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 11:00, and interment following at the St. Francis Cemetery. Lunch will follow in the church basement. Memorials may be made to: Audubon Society of MN, Special Olympics – Duluth Chapter, or KNOM Radio (Catholic Radio in Fairbanks, AK).

The Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home, 1209 E. 5th Street in Superior is assisting the family with arrangements – www.lenroot-maetzold.com.