Dorothea A. Kallunki

Dorothea Ann (Isola) Kallunki of Silver City, MI, has bowed off the stage of her musical life in her 99th year and is now dancing with the stars. In the words of the song she frequently sang to family and friends, her “get-up-and-go, has got up and went” – as of 12:15 am on November 2, 2025.

Dorothea was born July 25, 1927, to Anna Matilda (Koski) and Norman Alexander Isola of Calumet, MI. Named for the heroine of the novel Middlemarch, Dorothea was destined to be an avid reader, particularly of non-fiction and fiction portraying strong women. Dorothea grew up in the Copper Country of South Range and Calumet and graduated from Calumet High School. She married the boy next door, WWII veteran Gordon Peter Kallunki, in 1947 and together they raised nine children, mostly in Ontonagon, MI. She often voiced her pride in her children, that they all got along so well and that none of them have been in jail -- yet.

Dorothea’s first job at age 17 was as a dental assistant to Dr. Swykert in Calumet, a role she continued in later years with Dr. Sharkey and Dr. Keller in Ontonagon, and she raised her young children to consider regular toothbrushing a righteous virtue. She also worked with her husband Gordon in the grocery business, at Super Quality Food Market, Fraki’s Finer Foods, and K’s Uncommon Market in Ontonagon.

Music filled her life. She fine-tuned her piano skills through The Etude music magazine, lent her fine soprano voice as a soloist and choir member, became the organist at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ontonagon, and performed throughout the Upper Peninsula with the Finnish summer singers, Kesalaulajat, with long-time dear friend Elsie Tauriainen. One of her fondest memories was her star turn as Fiona in the community theater production of the musical Brigadoon, building lasting friendships with music director Bruce Johanson and fellow performers including Bob Kekke.

Dorothea filled her home with her piano-playing and singing, keeping up with contemporary music familiar to her children. She supported her children in their own musical endeavors, never complaining about the beginners’ noise, even when Balzac howled along. Even during her last weeks, she often broke into song as daily events inspired her to perform long-remembered lyrics and silly poetry.

Beloved for her independent active spirit and embodiment of sisu, Dorothea continued to dance, bike, hike, snow-blow, and cross-country ski into her 90s, often with life-long friend Fran Swetish and fellow adventurers Bruce Ruutila, Keith Harris, Dean Juntunen and her children and grandchildren. She insisted on clearing the snow off her roof herself until “adopted son” John D. (Domitrovich) ordered her to “get off that roof!” She took her first airplane trip at age 88 to visit her dear and supportive friends Richard and Mary Pachmayer in Arizona, where they hiked the “Crack in the Mountain” trail and visited the Grand Canyon. That same year, she boarded another plane to New York City to tour famous landmarks and parks with her eldest daughter, achieving additional “firsts” of seeing the ocean and enjoying Thai and Brazilian foods.

She continued to play piano, mow her lawn, and walk the Porkies escarpment trail right up to her stroke in mid-August.

Dorothea was preceded in death by her adoring husband Gordon, her parents, her brother Hartley Isola, sister Judith (Isola) Carnahan, brother-in-law Robert Carnahan, son-in-law Terrence Davison, and many dear friends of a long lifetime.

Dorothea is survived by all nine of her children, who agree she was the best mom ever: Jacquelyn Kallunki, White Plains, NY; Jennifer (Randy) Reets, Ann Arbor, MI; Deborah (Dean Juntunen) Kallunki, Mass City, MI; Rebecca Kallunki, Madison, WI; Emily (Leon Pasternak) Kallunki-Pasternak, Brighton, MI; and Lois Kallunki, Sandra Kallunki, Brian Kallunki, and Mark Kallunki, all of Green Bay, WI. She also leaves behind her admiring grandchildren: Michael (Sarah Marfisi) Juntunen, Kenny “KR” (Emily) Rucker, Brady (Samantha) Keegan, Anna (August) Pappas, Jesse Reets, Kaisa (Drew) Jacobson, Kirsten Davison, Loviisa Pasternak; and three great grandchildren: Lizy, Bea, and David Marfisi. She is further survived by her sister-in-law Gerda Isola; nieces and nephews Chrissie Isola, Mike, Pat and Kevin Carnahan and Kirsti Carnahan Spadone; and numerous nieces and nephews on her husband’s side of the family.

She is also survived by her own mother’s 150+ year old rag rug loom, with which Dorothea created beautiful carpets of carefully designed patterns and colors, each of which belied the common name of “rag rug.” It awaits in her loom studio for a next generation of rag hoarders.

A memorial celebration of Dorothea’s life is planned for August 2026, as part of a long-standing family tradition of summer gatherings at “home” in the U.P. to mark life’s milestones. Living near the park entrance, Dorothea considered the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park her personal playground. She hiked and/or skied all 100-plus miles of trails at least once if not many times – except for a single interior stretch. Family members will carry her ashes through that stretch this summer, helping her reach her lifelong goal.

Mom/gramma is on a new dance floor “kicking her heels right over her head” and singing “in spite of it all, I’m able to grin, and think of the places my get-up has been!”

Dorothea’s family thanks Physician Assistant Andrew Tait of Aspirus Ironwood for helping to keep her kicking for so many years, Heartland Hospice, and the truly kind and caring staff of Woodside Lutheran Home Rehab Center, Green Bay, for their support in the final weeks. Thanks also to Newcomer Green Bay, which conducted her cremation.

In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated to the Friends of the Porkies trail maintenance fund in memory of Dorothea (https://porkies.org/general-donation; PO Box 221, Ontonagon MI 49953). A loving mother of nine, Dorothea also encourages support of Planned Parenthood of Michigan health care (https://tinyurl.com/Planned-Parenthood-Michigan) The email address rememberdorothea@gmail.com can be used for memorial donation notifications.