John Leo Dodson,96, born as John Leo Drozdowski, Jr. in Iron River, Mich. on November 2, 1918, to John Drozdowski, Sr. and Helen Orbick. He was reunited with his wife of 61 years, Frances, on February 25, 2015. John died peacefully surrounded by his loving family including Carol Radke, daughter, Jeff Radke, son-in-law, Stephen Radke, grandson, Tanya Kreil, grandson's fiancé, Victoria Nelson, granddaughter, Eric Nelson, granddaughter's husband, and Charlotte Frances Nelson, great granddaughter. John was born and raised in Iron River. His siblings were Edward, Dorothy, Ted and Gertrude. As a child, he spent many hours at his paternal grandparent's farm in Bates Township. His grandparents were Michael Drozdowski and Frances Ostapowicz, who immigrated to the US from Lipsk, Poland in 1894. John also frequently visited his maternal grandparents in Ironwood, Mich. Felix Orbick, from Karpa, Poland, immigrated to the US in 1885, and Josephine Wozniak, from Rogowa, Poland, immigrated to the US in 1887. He graduated from Iron River High School. In 1941, he completed a business degree in Wisconsin. While in college, John was captain of his school's basketball team. Upon graduation, John enlisted in the US Army. He was proud that he enlisted prior to Pearl Harbor since he had many relatives who had remained in Poland. John was a First Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers, serving 5 years as a supply officer during WWII. He was stationed in the Army's Southern Base Section Headquarters in Salisbury, England. There, his team secured the supplies used for the Normandy invasion. After the invasion, John was selected to hand-carry the orders from the headquarters in England to the commander in Normandy to advance out of Normandy. Next, his supply group moved to General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, France. His group had the daunting task of securing enough supplies for the Army in Europe. At times, John had to travel as far away as Amsterdam to purchase critical supplies. The Germans signed the surrender documents in the room above John's office in Reims. After the war, John moved to Milwaukee, Wis. After WWII, there was much competition for jobs and discrimination against various ethnic groups. The prevailing wisdom was to get a job; you needed to Americanize your name. So, John changed his name to John Leo Dodson. He quickly obtained a job at Pabst Brewing Company where he worked for 40 years as a Corporate Purchasing Agent. John purchased all the bottles, cans and boxes for the various brands of beer for the company. He was responsible for ensuring an ongoing supply of containers so there was no interruptions in the 3-shift, 24 hour production lines. It was a high pressure job, but John successfully held that position until he retired at age 67. While working, John's generous vacation allowed him to return to Iron River one week every month for 40 years. During this time, John assisted his parents in Iron River, on a regular basis. Also, he took over maintenance and ownership of the Drozdowski family farm. John maintained close ties with family and friends in the Iron River area. For years, John used his business contacts in Milwaukee to help recent graduates from Iron River to find employment in Milwaukee. John met his future wife, Frances Schueneman, while they both worked at Pabst. They were married in 1947, and had three children: James, Carol and Marilyn. The family lived in the Milwaukee area. John was a loving husband and wonderful father. One of John's most enjoyable hobbies was cooking. During the weekends, he took over the kitchen and produced hearty meals. Even as adults, his children were expected to come over every Sunday with their spouse or date to enjoy one of John's multi-course meals. His legendary meals were enjoyed by many. After retiring, John took pride in caring for his grandchildren while their parents worked. He picked them up after school and took them to any sport practices/games or lessons. As a result, John developed a close relationship with his grandchildren. After Frances died, John lived with his daughter, Carol, in New Berlin, Wis. He remained in good health and active going to a Veteran's Club group in Milwaukee M-F. He went on an Honor Flight to Washington DC in 2010. He is preceded in death by his parents, John Drozdowski and Helen Orbick, wife, Frances, brother, Edward, sister, Dorothy and son, James. Further survived by brother, Ted, sister, Gertrude, daughter, Marilyn Manriquez, granddaughter, Lisa Jones, grandson, Paul Manriquez, and other family. John's life focused on caring for his parents, wife, children and grandchildren. An endearing smile, interest in serving others and positive outlook were his hallmarks. At the start of each day he proclaimed, "It's a good day to be alive." John enjoyed life right up to his final days. He lived to fulfil the American Dream sought after by his Polish immigrant grandparents. Their dream was to complete college, have a successful career, provide well for your family and grow old surrounded in love. John's funeral service was held in the Milwaukee area on March 7, 2015. Burial will be on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Resthaven Cemetery in Iron River at 10:00 a.m. The Jacobs-Plowe Funeral Home in Crystal Falls is handling the local arrangements. Condolences can be sent to John's family at Krause Funeral Home, 12401 W. National Ave., New Berlin, WI 53151 or www.krausefuneralhome.com.