John R. "Johnny" Bakos

John R. “Johnny” Bakos, age 91, of Fond du Lac, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 28, 2018, at Hospice Home of Hope.



He was born on June 4, 1927, in Elyria, OH, where he grew up, the son of Helen Leczo and John Bakos both descendants of Austria Hungary. He moved to Dearborn, Michigan where he enlisted in the US Navy from 1944-1946. In 1958, Johnny, a former Southern California club racer, became the first Mercury factory race boat driver hired by founder Carl Kiekhaefer. Johnny became a go-to-guy for Kiekhaefer, supervising construction at Lake X, Florida, driving test boats and racing. Johnny won races and set records until 1970 when he relocated to Fond du Lac, WI to become the first OEM field technical representative. John continued to work at Mercury Marine and retiring after thirty-eight years.



John was a competitor at heart and had a need for speed. Not only did he enjoy racing boats and snowmobiling at fast speeds, John had a passion for flying. The Fond du Lac Skyport became an important part of his life after he purchased his Bonanza airplane and a hangar. John’s hangar gave him a place to restore old cars and pursue his love of collector cars, with his specialties being Mustangs and hotrods. John enjoyed participating in car shows around the state.



John was an active member of the EAA, EAA Chapter 572, AOPA, Fondy Vintage Auto Club, and Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #57.



John is survived by his wife Carolyn; daughters, Robin (Mark) Anders of Fond du Lac, WI, Ronda Bakos (fiancé Michael Leonhard) of West Bend, WI and Danielle Bakos of Elizabethtown, KY; and siblings Mike Bakos of Elyria, OH, Ernie Bakos of Lorain, OH, and Barabara Redman of Ashland, OH. John is also survived by his ex-wife and mother of his daughters Robin and Ronda, Helen (Merry) Bakos, grandchildren, Kelly (Jim) Krause, Tony (Heather) Anders, Ashley (Jason) Thomas, Ian Devenport, Paige Devenport, Maxx Devenport and 5 great-grandchildren, Adelyn, Paisley, Layne, Lennon, and William, and several nieces and nephews.



In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his sister, Violet (Bakos) Mertens, his brothers, Jim, Joe, and Tom; and his son-in-law, Mark Anders.



We extend our deep appreciation for the care and support given to John from the staff members at the Hospice Home of Hope and Harbor Haven Health and Rehabilitation Center.

One of John’s favorite songs was ‘Fly Me to the Moon.’ In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family requests that donations be made to an EAA scholarship in John’s name to help aviation enthusiasts gain their wings. Please make checks payable to Bakos EAA Scholarship, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903.



A celebration of John’s life will be held at a later date. Cremation has taken place.