Obituary for CLAUDE WAYNE KORVELA
Claude W. Korvela, 75, of 364 Pine St., Republic, passed away Saturday evening, August 8th, 2020 at his home with his family by his side.
Claude was born on June 14th, 1945 in Negaunee to August and Hannah (Heikkenen) Korvela. He was raised in Palmer in the 1950’s during which time he enjoyed spending his time with his friends and family hunting, fishing, going on boy scout’s adventures, and spending time on Lake Superior at his uncle, Ted Heikkennen’s camp in Deerton, all of which he spoke of often. After graduating from Negaunee High School in 1963, Claude voluntarily joined the United States Army and was stationed in Frankfort, Germany serving as a Communication Specialist until his honorable discharge in 1967.
At the end of his military service he was recruited by the US Department of State as a telecommunication’s officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. While working for the CIA, Claude and his family were stationed at US Embassies in Tokyo, Japan (1971 – 1973), Monrovia, Liberia (1974-1976), Bangkok, Thailand (1976 – 1978), and The Hague, Netherlands (1978 – 1981). After serving his country for 19 years, Claude elected to leave the US government to live in the United States with his family where he worked as an electrician throughout the remainder of his career in the Washington DC and South Florida areas until his retirement in 2002.
After all of the experiences Claude had throughout his worldwide travels with his wife, Nancy, and sons, Dean and Michael, Claude always claimed that the best job he had was being a “Papa” to his two granddaughters, Caitlin and Sinead. After 40 years of residing outside the area, Claude and his wife of 57 years returned to the Upper Peninsula to reside in Republic where he lived the remainder of his days with great happiness and joy and at the close of day he did “Go Gentle into that Good Night”.
Surviving are his loving wife, Nancy (Wertanen) Korvela of Republic; his son, Michael (Joan) Korvela of Ishpeming; two granddaughters, Caitlin and Sinead Korvela; two sisters, Anita (Ronald) Battjes and June Peterson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Hannah Korvela; his son, Dean Korvela; his sister, M. Lois Ghiardi; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Peterson.
A private Celebration of Life will be held.
Mr. Korvela’s memorial page may be viewed at koskyfuneralhome.com
Claude was born on June 14th, 1945 in Negaunee to August and Hannah (Heikkenen) Korvela. He was raised in Palmer in the 1950’s during which time he enjoyed spending his time with his friends and family hunting, fishing, going on boy scout’s adventures, and spending time on Lake Superior at his uncle, Ted Heikkennen’s camp in Deerton, all of which he spoke of often. After graduating from Negaunee High School in 1963, Claude voluntarily joined the United States Army and was stationed in Frankfort, Germany serving as a Communication Specialist until his honorable discharge in 1967.
At the end of his military service he was recruited by the US Department of State as a telecommunication’s officer for the Central Intelligence Agency. While working for the CIA, Claude and his family were stationed at US Embassies in Tokyo, Japan (1971 – 1973), Monrovia, Liberia (1974-1976), Bangkok, Thailand (1976 – 1978), and The Hague, Netherlands (1978 – 1981). After serving his country for 19 years, Claude elected to leave the US government to live in the United States with his family where he worked as an electrician throughout the remainder of his career in the Washington DC and South Florida areas until his retirement in 2002.
After all of the experiences Claude had throughout his worldwide travels with his wife, Nancy, and sons, Dean and Michael, Claude always claimed that the best job he had was being a “Papa” to his two granddaughters, Caitlin and Sinead. After 40 years of residing outside the area, Claude and his wife of 57 years returned to the Upper Peninsula to reside in Republic where he lived the remainder of his days with great happiness and joy and at the close of day he did “Go Gentle into that Good Night”.
Surviving are his loving wife, Nancy (Wertanen) Korvela of Republic; his son, Michael (Joan) Korvela of Ishpeming; two granddaughters, Caitlin and Sinead Korvela; two sisters, Anita (Ronald) Battjes and June Peterson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Hannah Korvela; his son, Dean Korvela; his sister, M. Lois Ghiardi; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Peterson.
A private Celebration of Life will be held.
Mr. Korvela’s memorial page may be viewed at koskyfuneralhome.com