John Kube

John Llewellyn Kube, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away on Monday, January 12th, 2026, at the age of 81.

John was born on January 27th, 1944, in Fargo, ND, the son of Llewellyn and Allene Kube. He grew up on a farm in the beautiful Red River Valley, where he established a deep connection to the land.

John attended Wahpeton High School, excelling in many extracurricular activities, and placed as one of the first Wahpeton finalists in North Dakota state wrestling. He graduated as class salutatorian in 1962 and went on to pursue higher education. He attended Jamestown College before earning his Master's in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Mankato State in 1972, and his Doctorate in Philosophy in 1984, from the University of North Dakota.

Throughout his career, he voluntarily served on the boards of many organizations, including the ND Counselors Association, Fargo-Moorhead Connections, and the Fargo-Moorhead Finnish Association.

John joined the Peace Corps in 1967, where he spent two years in Colombia, South America. During this time, he became fluent in Spanish and formed many lifelong friendships.

Following the Peace Corps, John moved to Duluth, MN, to begin a dedicated career in vocational rehabilitation, specializing in helping people with vision difficulties. It was in Duluth that he had a chance encounter that would change his life forever, meeting his future wife, Tuula Torma. They were married in 1970 and went on to raise four children: Tapio, Derek, Rhonda, and Emily.

John loved to camp, explore, laugh, joke, play the harmonica, and listen to good music. Above all, he cherished meeting new people. For John, there were no strangers in his life, only people he hadn't met yet.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Tuula Kube; his children Derek and Emily (Chad), both of Wahpeton, ND, Rhonda of Moorhead, MN, and Tapio (Anneke) of Minneapolis, MN; his grandchildren Savannah, Kaylie, Myles, Mya, Aila, and Sabrina; and his sister Genie.

He is preceded in death by his parents, grandson, Jack, who passed away in 2025; his sister Lou Ann, who passed away in 2023; and his sister Mary, who passed away in 1961.

A celebration of John's life will be held on January 31st at 4:00 PM at the Mooreton Community Center in Mooreton, ND.