Major Tapio

Obituary of Major Tapio Chassell Major Glenn Edwin Tapio (Ret., USAF) of Chassell, MI, son of Edwin and Gladys (Pyle) Tapio, passed away peacefully on Nov. 28, 2010 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, with his family by his side. He was a gentle man of integrity who greatly cared for his family. Glenn was born on March 22, 1951 in Iron River, MI and graduated from Iron River High School in 1969. He married Linda Huhta of Jacobsville, MI on June 24, 1971. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1974 with a BS in Geological Engineering and was commissioned as a Lieutenant through the Air Force's ROTC program. As a newly-commissioned officer in the USAF, he was trained to fly the C-37 and C-38 jet planes. Following flight training, he was assigned to Rhein-Main AFB near Frankfurt, Germany to fly the DC-9 for MedEvac and distinguished visitors duty throughout Europe and the Middle East. Other duty stations in Alabama, Ohio, Illinois and Florida followed. Recognizing his geological engineering training, he was also assigned to environmental engineering duties while stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, FL. Following this, he was assigned to Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA and flew the then-largest airplane in the world, the C-5 Galaxy, through the Pacific and in Middle East during the Gulf War. Following that, he was in charge of the In-Ground Restoration Program at Travis AFB. In 1994, after 20 years of service, Glenn retired and moved back to his beloved Copper Country with his wife. While raising his sons, Glenn enjoyed participating in Scouting and always served in leadership positions within the organization. With his wife, Glenn helped establish and present Baptist Expression Marriage Encounter conferences in Germany, Ohio and Florida. Glenn was an avid outdoorsman, well known as a top-notch tour guide for the Copper Country and Keweenaw Bay areas, and always looked for rock-hunting and rock-collecting opportunities. Glenn served in several positions in the VFW, including Post Commander, District Commander, as a trustee on the Houghton County Veterans Affairs Council, and he worked on building the VFW floats for Chassell's Strawberry Festival for 20 years. He was proud of his Finnish heritage, demonstrated "sisu" and was an active member of the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock. Glenn is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Linda Huhta Tapio of Chassell; his son G. Christopher Tapio and family?wife Carrie and children Emily, Nicholas and Kaitlin of Sacramento, CA; his son Eric and family?wife Yunlu and children Isaac and Chloe of Chungdu, China; mother Gladys Tapio of Chassell; sister Mary Ellen and Alan Davis of Lees Summit, MO; sister Sally T. and Richard Smith of No. Aurora, IL; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Visiting hours will be on Friday, Dec. 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Memorial Chapel of Chassell, MI. On Saturday, Dec. 4, visitation will be open at 10:00 AM at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chassell, MI, with the funeral service, officiated by Rev. Ronald Strobel, beginning at 11:00 AM at the church. Military rites will be conducted by the Chassell VFW Post 6507. To view Glenn's obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net. The Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Chassell has been assisting the family with the arrangements. "My Savior reigns." To send flowers to the family of Major Tapio, please visit Tribute Store