Lavona Pakko

Pakko, Lavona M. 6/16/1934 - 6/14/2022 Kalamazoo Lavona Marie Pakko (nee Kiger)-teacher, wife and mother-passed away June 14, 2022. She was born in Fountain County, Indiana on June 16, 1934 to parents James Albert and Nellie Kiger. On June 22, 1957, she married Robert Pakko in Mt. Clemens Michigan, where they were both high school teachers. After settling in Kalamazoo, Michigan, she became a secretary at Brunswick Corporation until she had children. While raising a family, she used her expertise as a teacher of business skills in entrepreneurial ways. She ran a home business typing dissertations for graduate students at Western Michigan University and taught adult education classes in Portage. Then she turned her attention to the study of taxes, becoming well known as an expert tax preparer at Block Advisors. She always continued to teach, whether it was night classes in the local adult-education program or training professional tax-preparers on the latest tax law changes. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Pakko; and her brothers, Harold Wayne Kiger and Robert Kiger. Surviving Lavona are her sons, Michael Pakko of Roland, AR and James (Erin) Pakko of Dearborn, MI, as well as three grandchildren, Robert, Tian and Lili Pakko. Funeral Services will be held Monday, June 20, 2022 at 11:00 am at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 1747 W. Milham Ave. Portage, MI 49024. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place in Portage South Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in memory of Lavona. To leave an online condolence, please visit https://www.langelands.com