Robert 'Bob' Jondahl

Robert "Bob" Sverre Jondahl, age 100, passed away Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, at home near Minneapolis, Minn.

There will be a private family service at a later date.

Bob was born Nov. 25, 1923, in Glasgow, Mont., to Norwegian immigrants Sverre and Tomine Jondahl. In his youth he helped his parents in the Jondahl Bakery, but by high school you couldn't keep him away from the airport.

Flying became his lifelong passion, earning his pilot's license from the Etchart-Markle Flying School at age 16. After graduating from Glasgow High School, he attended aviation college and built flying time instructing at various flying operations in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. During WWII Lt. Jondahl served in the Army Air Corps as a Basic flight instructor stationed in Lancaster, Calif., and as a B-25 instructor at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona.

After the war Bob and C.D. Markle opened a flying service in Glasgow offering instruction, charter work and selling Cessna and Stinson aircraft. On an aircraft search in Minneapolis, his good pilot friends introduced him to the love of his life, Betty McNeil. Shortly thereafter he joined Northwest Airlines, flying everything from a DC- 3 to the 747. Bob was so accomplished as a pilot and instructor that he was chosen to be the Captain of the crew that Northwest sent to Seattle to check out their first 747. He flew the first 747 to land at Minneapolis/St Paul in 1971.

Bob retired as a 747 Captain and instructor after 34 years of service.

With much of his spare time he used his mechanical skills restoring several damaged Cessnas to perfection. Bob was extremely proud of his Glasgow roots, and he treasured his lifetime friendship with Kenny Newton, the Markles, the Etcharts, and so many others.

Bob was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years Betty; daughter Joyce Richards; and brother Leonard Jondahl.

He is survived by son-in-law Edward Richards; daughters Kristine Toso (Milton) and Susan Wanner (Tom); grandsons Erik (Suzannah) Toso and John (Sally) Toso; and great-grandchildren, Kenley, Niko and Rory Toso.