John "Jack" Ponzette

John Bernard ("Jack") Ponzette, a longtime resident of Laurel, died on May 7th, 2016 of natural causes at Riderwood, Silver Spring, MD.  Born July 9, 1928 in Spokane, WA, Jack grew up in Kellogg & Boise, Idaho.  Joining the US Navy in 1944, he proudly served 20 years in the Navy including service in WWII and Korea.  Jack earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and went on to retire from the Dept. of Defense in 1992 with a total of 47 years of government service.  Jack was a parishioner at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church, where he served as a Deacon for 22 years.  He also served as Chaplain for the American Legion Post 60.  Jack is survived by his devoted wife June, his children, stepchildren, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Relatives and friends are invited to visit at the Donaldson Funeral Home, PA. 313 Talbott Avenue  Laurel, Maryland 20707 on Wednesday from 2-4 & 6-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at Saint Mary of the Mill Catholic Church on Thursday at 10;30 am. Interment at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.