Obituary of John Willard Pontius

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, John Pontius, loving husband and father of three children, passed away peacefully at the age of 90. John was born on May 6, 1929, to Harry and Hazel (Oerline) Pontius. He was an Army Veteran and worked for many years and later retired from Bendix Corporation in South Bend, Indiana. On November 19, 1949, he married Mary Lou Carmen; they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last November. John and Mary Lou spent many of their years together in Bradenton, Florida. They enjoyed traveling, camping, and dancing, especially to Watermelon Wine. John had a passion for cars, antique tractors, and gun collecting. He loved gardening, tinkering and fixing things. Mary Lou often bragged “he can do anything”. He was known for his laughter, constant teasing, and his love for telling stories about old times. He also loved animals, especially his dog Jake. John was a member of the VFW, Moose Lodge, and The Fraternal Order of Eagles. John was preceded in death by his parents and his two siblings, Irene and Bill. John is survived by his wife Mary Lou, several nieces & nephews and a large family. They raised a son, Gary (Dawn) Pontius and two daughters, Karen (Jerry) Sanders and Gina (Tym) Steinman. John also has eight grandchildren (Shane, Kara, Angie, Justin, Deryk, Jason, Lucas & Samantha), 20 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. John fiercely loved the family that he and Mary Lou created…all 34 of them…and they thought he was pretty “Super Duper” too! The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.