Surnames: Skibinski, Moskiewicz, Kropidlowski, Kolinski, Bentil

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI.) July 2, 2008

Skibinski, Joseph James (3 October 1954 - 25 June 2008)

Joseph James Skibinski (Oct. 3, 1954 to June 25, 2008), loving husband and proud father, joined his daughter, Jamie Lynn, who passed away this very day 21 years ago.

Born in Milwaukee on Oct. 3, 1954, Joe was 12 when his family moved to Thorp, where they bought and ran Lombard Tavern for several years. In 1971, the family moved on to Pittsville and Joe attended his senior year there and graduated from Pittsville High School. After high school, he attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He graduated from UWSP in 1976 with a degree in political science.

While working his way through school, he also started a job with H&R Block. It was here that his interest was piqued in the tax business. In 1980, he bought into his first of five H&R Block franchise offices in Northern Wisconsin (Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Minocqua, Crandon and Eagle River). He stayed with his parents who had then bought a home in Rhinelander during the winter/spring tax season and returned to his home in Stevens Point the rest of the year. He was employed by Port Edwards Concrete Corporation doing concrete construction for about 20 years. The two seasonal jobs worked out well for him. He resided in Stevens Point until 1984, when he bought a farm in Junction City. Shortly after, he sold the H&R franchises and began his own local tax business, AB Tax Service. He also farmed and raised beef cattle and continued working construction.

On July 20, 1985, he married his high school sweetheart, Cindy Moskiewicz. In March 1998, he bought Port Edwards Concrete and the name became Ski, Inc., where he employed an average of 17 people. Joe was a do-it-yourself, independent man. He loved his work and his family.

His son Joseph Michael, was born in May 1989. His daughter, Jamie Lynn, was born in February 1987. She preceded him in death at four months of age of SIDS. He is also preceded in death by his father, Joseph S. Skibinski and his brother-in-law, Peter Moskiewicz.

He is survived by his wife, Cindy Skibinski (Moskiewicz) of Junction City; his son Joseph Michael Skibinski of Junction City; his mother, Angeline Skibinski (Kropidlowski) of Stevens Point; his brother, Michael John Skibinski (Barb) of Stevens Point; his sister Sharon (Mark Kolinski) of Colorado Springs; and his nieces and nephews.

Joe was a remarkable man both in how he lived his life and in how he fought his courageous battle with cancer. A good man, he was loved and respected by all who knew him. We will all miss him.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 28, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Junction City with the Reverend Augustine Bentil officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitations will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Martens/Rembs Funeral Home in Junction City and again from 9:30 a.m. until service time Sunday at the church.