John Pridnia

Funeral Information

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 25, 1:00 to 4:00 and 5:00 to 8:00 with vigil at 7:30 at the Knoblock Funeral Home in Kinde. Visitation will also be held Saturday from 9:00 am at St. Michaels Catholic Church of the Annunciation of The Lord Parish until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 am. A luncheon will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Huron County Community Foundation, and the John D. Pridnia Community Service Fund, (P.O. Box 56, Bad Axe, Michigan 48413), a fund established to continue to enrich the lives of the people in the Port Austin area.

Family of the Deceased

Shortly after his schooling, he married Patricia Moore and had three sons, John, David and Chris.  After retiring from the legislature, John married Lisa Daily, his wife of 19 years.  His sons each married and started families of their own – John to Michelle, David to Liana and Chris to Nancy. John’s family grew to include five grandchildren, Nicole, Kimberly, Nicolas, Christopher and Connor, and three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Jackson and Blake.

Biography

John D. Pridnia, loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, passed away Thursday, November 17, 2016 after a two-year battle with ALS at the age of 73.     John, the only child of John R. and Margaret Pridnia, was born on March 16, 1943 in Detroit, MI.  Shortly after his schooling, he married Patricia Moore and had three sons, John, David and Chris.  Looking for a fulfilling life for his family, he relocated to rural Northeast Michigan to take on the challenge of various small businesses. Over the period of 10 years, the list of businesses included Harrisville Shell Station and Tackle Shop, Pridnia Mobile Home Park, Dairy Dome, Alco Theatre, State Park Motel and WDBI Radio Station.  He often looked back at this time in his life as being one of the most gratifying -- working side by side with his family to build, to develop, to create.  Years were at times lean, but always rewarding.   At the age of 39, after raising his family, John directed his efforts and talents towards public service at the state level.  He served two terms as State Representative and two terms as State Senator where he was well respected by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. His efforts focused around business, tourism and conservation, but his true legislative passion was in the area of public health.  He was most proud of his many accomplishments while chairing the Senate Health Policy Committee.   After retiring from the legislature, John married Lisa Daily, his wife of 19 years.  John and Lisa lived in the Lake Huron lakeshore community of Port Austin, MI once again enjoying the warmth and charm of a small community.  His sons each married and started families of their own – John to Michelle, David to Liana and Chris to Nancy. John’s family grew to include five grandchildren, Nicole, Kimberly, Nicolas, Christopher and Connor, and three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Jackson and Blake.   John may have retired, but he did not slow down.  He continued on his path of service and contribution by working with the Port Austin community to improve the lives of so many people who lived in or visited the area.  Beautifying and developing the harbor and waterfront, establishing a thriving farmer’s market, or assisting and mentoring so many local businesses owners -- John never stopped giving, never stopped helping others.  A fitting tribute to John and his heartfelt work for his community stands at the Port Austin harbor and states “He had the vision to imagine what could be done, the knowledge of how to do it and the commitment to make it a reality.”

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