Richard Ponto, 69, Royal Oak, Mich.

Published 9:39 am Friday, October 1, 2010

Richard Ponto, 69, died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., on Aug. 21, 2010.

Richard was born in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and grew up in Albert Lea and was a member of the Class of 1959. He served in the Navy for three years where he received training in nuclear medicine. He continued his studies at the University of Minnesota and became an associate scientist in the Nuclear Medicine Deptartment at the University Hospital. In 1979 he joined the William Beaumont Hospital as director of the Nuclear Medicine Image Processing Department. He retired in January of 2008 and spent the winters at Fort Myers, Fla.

Survivors include his wife, Marilynn, of Farmington Hills, Mich.; his daughter, Sara (Greg Suskovich), and two grandchildren of Mankato; his son, Mike Ponto, of Minneapolis; his mother, Elna Ponto of Overland Park, Kan.; and his sisters: Joan Bachtle of Shawnee, Kan., and Ruth Ann Foley of St. Claire Shores, Mich.