Alexander Biolo

He was born on Feb. 10, 1937, to Charles and Mary (Hnida) Biolo in Minneapolis. His grandparents were Alessandro and Lucia (Marchetti) Biolo, who had emigrated from northern Italy in 1901, through Ellis Island to Michigan.

Shortly after being born, Alex’s family moved to Iron Mountain. Five years later, the family moved to Neenah, Wis. He went to school through the Neenah School System. He won the Wisconsin State Boys Class A Tennis Championship in 1952, and was a member of the Neenah High Tennis Team that won the state high school championship in 1953. He graduated from Neenah High School, class of 1954.

After several years of work at Manhattan Rubber, Alex enrolled at University of Minnesota. He completed a five-year course in chemical engineering and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1960.

He married Barbara Reimer on July 2, 1960, at St. John Catholic Church in Menasha, Wis. Alex and Barbara had three children, Amy of Naples, Anthony of Punta Gorda, Fla., and Mary Tonge of Petoskey, Mich. They have two grandsons, Trevor Tonge of Petoskey and Greg Tonge of Roeland Park, Kan. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Mary Hoffmann; and brother-in-law, William LaVelle.

Alex was a member of the Wisconsin National Guard 32nd Division. He was on active duty from 1961 until 1962 during the Berlin Wall Crisis. He was discharged in 1965 with the rank of sergeant.

Alex worked for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation as a process engineer in the coated paper mills in Kimberly, Wis., Anderson, Calif., and Niagara, Wis. After the sale of the Niagara Mill, he continued his work there for Niagara Paper (Pentair). After 35 years in the paper business, Alex retired from Niagara as a technical director.

Alex and Barbara spent many retirement years between their homes in Norway and Naples. They enjoyed many trips with the Ward Travelers, good friends, and acquaintances over the years. Especially fond were the European River trips and the Caribbean Island cruises.

He was a frustrated golfer, first at Pine Grove in Iron Mountain for several years, and then at Oak Crest in Norway for many years. After several years of playing tennis in Florida, Alex took up bocce. He was an ardent fan of the Green Bay Packers, and also watched basketball, golf, and tennis on television.

Alex was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Norway and St. Agnes Catholic Church in Naples.

Alex was preceded in death by his loving wife, Barbara, in January 2025; parents, Charles and Mary; son-in-law, Brian Tonge; and daughter-in-law, Holly (McCarthy) Biolo.

A Celebration of Alex and Barbara’s life will be announced in the spring with burial in the Biolo family plot at Cemetery Park in Iron Mountain.

Friend may leave condolences and tributes to Alex’s family online at www.jacobsfuneralhomes.com.

The family has chosen Jacobs Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Iron Mountain, to honor Alex’s legacy of life.