Glenn D. Jablonski

JABLONSKI, LARSEN, MARSHALL, ROBERTSON, KARPEN

Posted By: Harvey W. Henry (email)
Date: 3/17/2009 at 11:50:50

Glenn D. Jablonski
Born: June 02, 1917
Died: January 17, 2009
Services:Memorial Mass will be celebrated Monday, January 26th at 2pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Iowa City. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mary’s Church, Iowa City Hospice or the Voices of Experience. Glenn donated his body to the University of Iowa for anatomical study.
Visitation:The family will greet friends Sunday, January 25th, form 2:00 to 5:00 pm at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. A time of sharing and celebration will begin at 4:00 pm.

Glenn D. Jablonski, 91, of Iowa City died Saturday, January 17, 2009 at home following an extended illness.

Glenn was born June 2, 1917, in Big Rapids, MI, the son of Leo and Marie Larsen Jablonski. He received a bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan, and a master’s degree in music from the University of Iowa. He married Martha Marshall on December 23, 1940, they later divorced. On February 9, 2001 he married Sally Robertson in Iowa City.

Known as Mr. J to generations of Iowa City students, Glenn taught vocal music at City High and instrumental music at Hoover Elementary. Upon retirement at 65, he turned his attention to senior citizens , founding and directing the Voices of Experience Choir at the Senior Center, and playing his French horn until a couple of years ago.

He was also a lover of the great outdoors. In early adulthood he’d been a regional director for the Boy Scouts of America, and later, in summers when the school year had ended, he took young Iowa City campers up to Lake of the Woods in Canada for fishing and fun.
Beginning in 1965, he earned his pilot’s license, built an airplane, and took to the skies.

A active community leader, he was a member of and long-time choir director at St. Mary’s Church, a member and past president of the Retired School Personnel of Johnson County, Iowa City Teacher’s Assn, the Experimental Aircraft Assn, and the Iowa City AARP Chapter.

Survivors include his wife Sally; three children, Elise (Dan) Karpan of Grand Rapids, MN, Paul Jablonski of Silverton, OR, and John Jablonski of Iowa City; two daughters-in-law, Fatima Lassar of Petaluma, CA. and Mei-ling Chang of Oahu, HI; three step-children, Gregory (Jinny) Robertson, Lynne Robertson, and Claire Ashford; his brother, Raymond (Pauline) Jablonski of Grand Rapids, MN; twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sons, Stanley and Carl and siblings, Marshall and Leola.