David Keith Pelkola

He was born on April 13, 1954, in Marquette, MI, to Robert and Arlene (Koski) Pelkola. David was raised in Gwinn, where he graduated from Gwinn High School in 1972.

After high school, David attended Northern Michigan University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Arts. While in college, he began working as a sheet metal worker, a career he would continue for 38 years. He worked with various contractors before retiring from Dresseler Mechanical in 2013.

David had a passion for the outdoors, enjoying activities like hunting, snowmobiling, and fishing. He also found joy in visiting the casino with his fiancee, Judy DePetro, and loved to travel, particularly to Mexico and Hawaii. David had a great sense of humor, always ready with a joke or a one-liner, and was a fan of classic TV shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, and MASH*. He was kind-hearted, giving, and always willing to lend a hand to those in need. He was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back.

David’s greatest joy, however, was spending time with his family. He leaves behind his fiancee, Judy DePetro; children Andrew Pelkola and Kayla (Kevin) Sanford, both of Gwinn; his mother, Arlene Keskimaki; and siblings Michael Pelkola, Kevin (Susie) Pelkola, Daniel (Dana) Pelkola, and Debra (Jeff) Deering all of Gwinn, and Rodney (Denise) Pelkola of Peyton, CO. He was also a proud grandfather to Jensen Sather and Natalie Sanford, both of Gwinn, and had several nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

David was preceded in death by his father, Robert Pelkola, and his sister-in-law, Susan Pelkola.

A memorial service to celebrate David’s life will be held at the Canale Gwinn Funeral Home on Monday December 23, 2024. Visitation will take place from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm with a service at 12:00 pm. Rev. Sarah Sleeter will officiate. A reception will follow in the funeral home reception room. Interment will be made in the Gwinn Cemetery in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Forsyth Township Fire Department, 99 North Pine Street, Gwinn MI 49841 or Grace Lutheran Church, 558 West M-35 Gwinn MI 49841. The Canale Gwinn Funeral Home and Cremation Services is serving the family where condolences may be expressed online at canalefuneral.com.