Michael Lewis Tonya

Michael Lewis Tonya, from Cumming, Georgia, died on September 20, 2013 in Cumming, Georgia of lengthy illnesses. He was born September 2, 1926 in Bessemer, PA to Andrew Tonya and Joanna Slapnichar Tonya. He graduated from Bessemer High School on June 1, 1944. While in high school, Michael worked at a local brickyard and as a tire builder in Barberton, Ohio. In August, 1944 he joined the U.S. Navy. He attended boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill. After boot camp he attended Radar School in Virginia Beach, VA and then joined the crew of the USS LST 1059 in Pittsburgh, PA. They sailed down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. He continued his training in the gulf cities of Galveston, Mobile, Gulfport and Panama City.



After training, Michael's ship left for the Pacific Theatre via the Panama Canal and Pearl Habor. During his stent in the Navy, his ship visited Eniwetok, Guam and Saipan (where the war ended). Their peacetime duties included Okinawa, Korea, Japan, China, Manchuria, Hong Kong and French Indo-China (now Viet Nam). Michael was honorably discharged from the Navy on July 4, 1946.



After the Navy, Mike attended Washington and Jefferson College until June of 1948 and then entered and graduated from Bliss Electrical School. After graduating from Bliss he climbed poles as a lineman before marrying Margaret Elaine Gerak on November 10, 1951.



After their marriage, Mike and Marge moved to Los Angeles, California where he worked as a flight line electrician for a short time. Then they moved to Columbus, Ohio where Michael was an electrician and eventually worked in the insurance industry. For the rest of his career he worked in the sales industry, including industrial textiles, telemarketing and mausoleums.



In addition to his wife "Maggie" of 61 years, Michael loved ice skating, playing horseshoes, words of many languages and politics. He was very proud of his volunteer work at the Atlanta Catholic Social Services as an interpreter for refugees during the Bosnian war. Mike spoke several foreign languages including, Croatian, Slovanian and Russian.



During the past 25 years, Michael was a survivor of heart by-pass, cancer and several Republican Administrations. He is survived by his wife Margaret Tonya, son Patrick Tonya and daughter Susan Mashburn, all of Cumming, Georgia. He is also survived by daughter-in-law, Dawn Tonya, of San Francisco, California, and five grandchildren- Tonya Mashburn, Kayla Mashburn, Graham Tonya, Dean Tonya and Michael Tonya, as well as, four siblings Joe, Francis, Mill and Paul. He was preceded in death by a son, Michael Tonya and a sister, Doris. A graveside memorial will be held on November 26, 2013 at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia.