Zachery Lawrence Korpela, 75, of Ironwood, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 16, 2026.

Zack was born on July 29, 1951, in Ironwood, to John Waino and Lyyli Marie (Niemi) Korpela. He attended Newport Elementary School and Luther L Wright High School in Ironwood, and was a 1969 graduate of Walled Lake High School in Walled Lake, MI. He went on to enlist in the United States Navy, where he proudly served for six years, specializing in top-secret fire control radar and microcircuits before receiving an honorable discharge.

Following his military service, Zack began a 34-year career with IBM, working in advanced mainframe computer technology until his retirement. Zach had a brilliant mind and a natural talent for many things, but predominantly mathematics. He especially enjoyed calculus and took great pleasure in working with numbers and solving complex problems. Zack was an avid reader and enjoyed a 2000+ book library with both fiction and non-fiction. Once retired back to Ironwood in 2011, Zack was enthusiastic about driving around and seeing all the wildlife during each trip down country roads and trails. He enjoyed many trips out to our family camp at Maple Creek on Lake Superior all through his childhood and adult years. He loved animals and rejoiced in all the family pets we had, from our first “Black Mike” Labrador Retriever to our current batch of kitties: Black Jack, Cinnabuns, Beauregard, and Remi, who miss him dearly. He also had a passion for cooking and was a true gourmet chef. His love of food was enriched by his travels with the Navy, where he was introduced to cuisines and cultures from around the world and later enjoyed bringing those flavors into his own kitchen.

Zack was a very kind and generous man, helping many family members and friends throughout his lifetime. He is survived by his sister, Nancy C Korpela; nephew, Steve Korpela; grandnephew, Steven (Sarah) Korpela (great grand nephew, Tyler), grandniece, Miranda, nephews, Richard Castle, William (Laura) Castle (grand nephews, Matthew and Timothy), Frank (Tanya) Castle (grand niece, Chassidy Fresier, and grand nephew, Zachary Frasier), Dan (Mizuho) Castle (grand nephews Eric and Jame Castle), nephew John (Michelle) Castle and grand niece, Kai Castle, and grand nephew, Isaac Castle).grand niece Christine (Melanie) Castle, niece Calla Korpela, grand nephew, Ronald, (Lynn) Cecil, (great grand nephew, Wyatt), grand niece, Adrianna Napier, great grand niece, Gabriella, grand niece, Phoebe Napier, grand nieces, Alexis Miller, Rachel (Kaleb) Cronkright, Jane Miller (great grand nephew, Marcus), Marylyn Miller, Rochelle Miller, cousins Rolf (Sharon) Weeks and Sandra Deicheim, and several other nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, John (Mary), Jim (Kathleen), and Robert Korpela; two sisters, Anna Mae (Richard) Castle and Bonnie Korpela; and nephews, John Jr. Korpela, Tom Castle, and niece, Sally Castle.

Following Zack’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and no formal services will be held. A celebration of his life will be held later in 2026 at the family property at Maple Creek on Lake Superior; date and time to be determined. In lieu of cards or flowers, please donate to the Disabled Veterans of America.