John Pohlman | 1937 - 2025
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted May 12, 2025 | 4:17 PM / 778 views
PIERRE, SD – John Charles Pohlman, 88, passed peacefully in his sleep on April 16th, 2025, at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, South Dakota.
He was born to Dolores & Willard Pohlman, March 18th, 1937, at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He grew up in Kenosha, where he played high school football for the Kenosha Red Devils and once scored a touchdown on both offense and defense in the same game (a story he loved to repeat to anyone within earshot).
John attended college at both the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he played football. While a member of USD’s Delta Tau Delta fraternity, he met Constance (Connie) Bartels, of Ft. Pierre, SD, a member of the Alpha Phi sorority located across the street. They dated for a year and were married on August 19th, 1961. After one year in Sioux City, IA, they moved to Pierre, SD, where they raised their three children: John II, Stephen and Catherine.
Graduating with an English degree, John’s first job out of college was with the Pierre Credit Bureau. He went on to work for the State Planning Agency of South Dakota and spent the final 30 years of his career with the federal government as the State Director of ACTION for North and South Dakota, which oversaw volunteer programs such as the Peace Corps, Foster Grandparents and Volunteers in Service to America. He retired in 2007.
John served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard. He was also a deputized member of the Pierre Special Police who guarded the Governor’s Mansion when Marlon Brando spoke at an American Indian Movement rally on the Capitol steps in 1974.
He was a very talented athlete. In addition to playing football, John was a skilled golfer, bowler and softball player – both fast pitch and slow pitch. He played league softball until he was 54 years old, winning city championships on teams with each of his sons. He was also an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Cubs – who finally won the World Series for him in 2016. In his later years, he nearly always sported the colors of his favorite teams.
John loved to be entertained. Sports, movies, television, theatre and music brought him great enjoyment, which he happily shared with his family. He also loved to travel, spending summer after summer driving his family to nearly every state in the nation in his trusty Chevy Kingswood station wagon, South Dakota’s own Clark Griswold. These trips and many more produced countless stories which will keep his memory alive for years to come. John was a kind, generous, witty family man who will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother and sister-in-law Fred & Phyllis Pohlman, and brothers-in-law Steve Gorelik Jr. and Dennis Chiappetta.
John is survived by Connie, his wife of 63 years, sons John II (Stacey) of Sioux Falls, SD and Steve “JD”, Pierre; and daughter Cathy, Aurora, CO; grandchildren Jennifer Mammenga, Sioux Falls; Jordan Pohlman (Chris Demastes), Colorado Springs, CO; Jaycie Pohlman, Sioux Falls; Liam Pohlman, Pierre; Greta Pohlman, Vermillion, SD; Rex Koch, Aurora; and Zoe Koch, Aurora; and great-grandchildren Sloane Mammenga, Sioux Falls and Wilson Mammenga, Sioux Falls; and siblings Sandy Chiappetta, Manalapan, NJ; Patricia Gorelik, Falls Church, VA; Gary (Linda) Pohlman, Lake Villa, IL; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors.
A Celebration of Life for John will be held in Pierre at the American Legion Cabin on Saturday, July 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. All friends and family are welcome to attend.
