Blair County remembers John ‘Mr. Altoona’ Kazmaier.
Jodi Cessna, Executive Director of Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, said the city of Altoona has lost one of its finest.
John Kazmaier, 74, passed away on Monday morning.
“Downtown Altoona was his heart. He just absolutely loved this city,” Cessna said.
Kazmaier graduated from the Altoona Area High School in 1960.
He went on to serve the Army in Vietnam, creating a long distance love with his city.
A letter dated 1966 showed he sent a check to help build Penn State Altoona.
In the letter he wrote, “for a better tomorrow for the youth of Blair County.”
When he came back home, he brought his alma mater mascot, the mountain lion, to life.
He wanted to create a statue to showcase on school grounds.
Paula Foreman, Communication Relations Director for the Altoona Area School District, said “the time was a huge project, involved Heinz Warneke who also did the Nittany Lion, so there’s that connection with Penn State.”
Foreman said tokens like this reflect the pride he had for his home.
“When you looked at the things he accomplished they were really vast,” Foreman said.
Kazmaier retired from M&T Bank as an executive officer.
He also helped lead the Altoona Rotary Club, Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, and Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art; That’s just part of a long list of ways he helped create a stronger foundation for Blair County.
“I mean people joke and call him Mr. Altoona but that was definitely John, he was Mr. Altoona,” Cessna said.
Foreman said projects like the Gospel Hill Flag will serve as a reminder of Kazmaier’s pride and dedication to Altoona.
“I think his legacy will be really long lived here,” Foreman said.
“I hope that everyone who met John remembers all the amazing things that he has always done and how much he loved this area,” Cessna said.
On Friday the community members are invited to pay their respects from 2-8 p.m. at Steven’s Mortuary.
The funeral service will be on Saturday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Hollidaysburg.
