Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
PEORIA, Ariz. — Mathew Peter “Matt” Krznarich, 94, of Sun City, Ariz., and a summer resident of Hurley, Wis., died May 21, 2013, at Freedom Plaza Nursing Home in Peoria.
Matt was born Sept. 20, 1918, in Ironwood, Mich., son of the late Milo and Mary (Ulasich) Krznarich, attended Newport Grade School, and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1936. He then worked in area Civilian Conservation Corps camps for a short time and at Ulasich Brothers Meat Market for three years prior to attending Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich., for one year.
Matt entered the U.S. Army on Aug. 28, 1941, serving in the 986th Engineer Maintenance Co., 78th Coast Artillery Anti-Aircraft Battery B, in the Aleutian Islands during World War II, and saw action in the Battle of Attu Island. His decorations and citations included one Service Stripe with three Overseas Service Bars, American Defense, American Theater, and Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Battle Star, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Following his honorable discharge as a sergeant on Nov. 3, 1945, Matt attended Superior State Teachers College in Superior, Wis., receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1948. While at Superior, he earned all-conference varsity football honors for two years and was captain of the varsity basketball team for one year. He then received a master’s degree in guidance counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1953.
Matt taught and coached varsity football and basketball in Spencer, Wis., for one year, Hancock, Mich., for three years, and in the Milwaukee Public School System for 28 years, retiring in 1980. He was a member of St. Clements of Rome Catholic Church in Sun City, Ironwood American Legion Post 5, Gogebic Country Club, the Wisconsin Education Association and the former Ironwood Elks Lodge.
He married Virginia R. “Ginny” McCoy on June 25, 1955, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Mauston, Wis. She survives.
Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents, Matt was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Clare; three brothers, Joseph, John and Milton; a sister, Katherine Rodeghiero; brother-in-law, Bruno Rodeghiero; sisters-in-law, Ardith, Faye and Pat Krznarich; and a nephew, Jon Michael Krznarich.
Services and burial with military honors will be held at a later date to be announced.
Local arrangements have been entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood, where memories may be shared online at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.
