John Alfred Firtko went home to be with the Lord on June 5, 2026, in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, at the age of 97. John was born on September 24, 1928, on a U.S. Army base in Manila, Philippines, to John and Hildur A. Firtko. He had one brother, Richard T. Firtko. When John was 17, he met Nancy Taubensee at church camp. They married on September 24,1949, and shared 74 years of marriage before Nancy’s death in October 2023. John is survived by daughter Cyndi (Ron) Blomberg, son Ken (Amy) Firtko, and daughter Debbi (Reay) Zoellner; nine grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.

John attended Humboldt High School, competing on the swimming team, and the University of Minnesota, where he took classes in forestry and worked an on-campus job cleaning anatomy laboratories (which gave him some interesting stories!). His love of the outdoors was often expressed on family vacations, when he shared with his family the names of trees, animals, and birds. For many years, he played volleyball after work with a group of coworkers from Honeywell. John was an avid stamp collector. He also loved watching Minnesota sports teams of all kinds, sometimes on multiple TVs or both TV and radio, often with a big bowl of popcorn nearby. Occasionally he “rested his eyes” while watching. John was also known for his love of ice cream—right up until the end of his life.

Throughout the years John enjoyed serving in many roles at Faith Baptist church, including deacon, trustee, and treasurer.

When Nancy began showing signs of dementia, John took on the role of caregiver. He lovingly cared for her on his own until the final weeks before her death.

In his later years, he enjoyed daily trips to Panera Bread, first here in Minnesota and then in Tennessee. He loved reading and making jigsaw puzzles. He also enjoyed the company of many friends from the senior apartments where he lived, his churches in both Minnesota and Tennessee, and Panera Bread in both states.

John loved his family and prayed for all of them daily. Right up until the end, he called his children, children-in-law, grandchildren, and even the great-grandchildren on their birthdays. John also loved the Lord and throughout his life faithfully followed Him. We rejoice knowing he is at home in heaven with Jesus and reunited with Nancy.

A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday, July 9, at 11 am at Faith Baptist Church, 4350 Russell Ave N, Minneapolis. Visitation one hour prior to service. Memorials to Faith Baptist Church