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As received from the Reid Funeral Service and Chapel:
Allan J. “Al” Dantes Jr., age 43 of L’Anse, Michigan passed away Friday, October 14, 2022. He was born in L’Anse, Michigan on April 4, 1979 – the son of the late Annette (Snyder)Ahola & Allan Dantes Sr. In his formative years, he spent time in Wyoming and West Virginia, where he played basketball & soccer at public & private schools and was even homeschooled for a year and a half. He returned to the great Upper Peninsula in his sophomore year and remained very active during his remaining school years. He played football for the L’Anse Purple Hornets, was a Boys’ State Rep, a Camp Nesbit Counselor & JH Football Coach. Al graduated in 1997, where he was voted best dancer of his graduating class, and chose to raise his family here in L’Anse. He was employed at L’Anse Manufacturing & Technology, Inc. as a Programmer/Prototyper. Al was very involved in the community and spent a lot of his time over the years playing softball, bowling, stock car racing, mud dragging, rally racing and volunteered coaching basketball for the L’Anse Schools. This was Al’s 8th year serving the district on the L’Anse Area Schools Board of Education where his motto from the beginning was always “Do it for the kids!”. He was a leader in starting the first LHS Robotics team, was a representative to the Copper Country Association of School Boards, and an advocate of expanding career and technical education classes. Al started up a program at LHS called The Watch Dogs, and was a supporter of all youth athletics. Al was proud and humbled to announce that he had accepted the nomination and would be running for Baraga County Commissioner in District 5 this November. Despite all of his many accomplishments, Al could never be trusted to choose the music for any occasion as his taste in music left much to be desired.
Al leaves behind his 6 beautiful girls who were his entire world – Justice, Arieanna, Aaliyah, Dannii, Adalynn and Kaia, as well as his 1-year-old pug, Pardi. In the summertime, you could always find Al with his 6 angels camping, hiking and boating on the Bay. He loved to go backpacking in the Porkies and fishing in the Hurons. His free time was spent racing with Tower City Race Team in his #50 RX-7 Rally Car who everyone knew as “Rexine”, with a big butt. He was a beacon and a true sportsman in the rally community. He had an insane passion for rally and would drive Rexine to the limit at rallies across the United States. Al was the defending ARA East Coast Regional 2WD champion and was leading the ARA’s Central 2WD standings this season. He was scheduled to race at the 2022 Lake Superior Performance Rally. He was awarded the Jake Himes Cup at this year’s 2022 LSPR, which his daughters accepted on his behalf, and is presented to the fastest 2WD.
Al is preceded in death by his mother, Annette (Snyder) Ahola, grandparents, John “Jack” and Marian Snyder, Charles and Martha Dantes as well as his Uncles Charles D. and Bert Dantes , Aunt Faye Boomer, and cousin Jamie Reed.
Al is survived by his 6 children – Justice, Arieanna, Aaliyah, Dannii, Adalynn and Kaia, his father Allan Dantes Sr., his stepmother Rebecca Dantes, siblings Wendy (Tim) Soli, Elwood Niemi Jr., Angel Seppanen, Scott Johnson, Crystal (Lucas) Renaud, Mark Dantes, stepbrother Ricky (Christy) Blankenship, numerous Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends near and far as well as his entire Rally Family.
A Celebration of Life will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 29th at 123 E. Fall Street, in L’Anse, MI. 49946.
Al’s obituary may also be viewed and condolences sent to the family at www.reidfuneralservicechapel.com
The Reid Funeral Service and Chapel, L’Anse has been entrusted with the arrangements.
