Adolph Ojard obit

On Thursday afternoon, December 30, Adolph Ojard (1949-2021), former President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association and former Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, passed away at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia surrounded by his family. He was 72 years old. During the last two years, Adolph had battled myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease.

The son of a tug boat captain, Adolph was a prominent face in the Great Lakes maritime industry, serving at the Port of Duluth for a decade (2003-2013). A 1971 graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Adolph spent more than 30 years working around the country with U.S. Steel in rail, inland barging and shipping executive positions.

He served as president of the Warrior Gulf Navigation Company in Alabama and later became general manager of both the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway and the USS Great Lakes Fleet in Duluth, a position he held until taking over as port director in April 2003. In 2013 Adolph retired to Greensboro, Georgia to enjoy golfing and more time with his family.