Edward Vinoski

CRYSTAL FALLS, Mich. - Edward Vinoski, 91, of Ironwood, died peacefully Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, at the Iron County Medical Care Facility in Crystal Falls, with his family by his side. Ed was born Dec. 8, 1927, at the family home in South Connellsville, Pa., to Andrew and Rose (Borak) Vinoski.

He joined the Army Air Forces (which became the U.S. Air Force during his enlistment) in 1946 at the age of 18. He was trained as a photographer and served at Fort MacDill in Tampa, Fla. He returned to South Connellsville after his discharge and enrolled at West Virginia University. He graduated in 1953 with a degree in Forestry and was hired by the U.S. Forest Service. His first job with the Forest Service was in Lakeview, Ore., on the Fremont National Forest. There he met Julia (Dooley) Cosgrove. They were married in June of 1956. Ed was then transferred to Conway, N.H. on the White Mountain National Forest for a brief time, before going to Bartow, W.Va., in 1958 to be a ranger on the Monongahela National Forest. He and his ever-growing family were there until 1969 when he was transferred to his final Forest Service assignment at the Supervisor's Office of the Ottawa National Forest in Ironwood. He retired from the Forest Service in 1992.

Ed was very active in the Lions Club serving as a District Governor in both West Virginia and Michigan. In 1993, he received the distinguished Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship award. He and Dooley traveled extensively for the Lions Club activities and had good friends through the Lions all over the country. Ed's Catholic faith was very dear to him and he served in innumerable volunteer positions at churches in every town he lived in. He was very active with the Ironwood Catholic Schools, including serving as school board president. He ran the scrip program for All Saints Academy until he was 90.

Ed used his photography skills throughout his life, never more so than on classic family trips around the country with his wife and seven children. Those trips were legendary and Dad's many photo slides of the adventures remain a joy to view. Ed's Polish heritage meant a great deal to him. His trip to Poland with son, Steve, was one of his greatest adventures. And he never missed a chance to listen to polka music, either on the radio or by traveling to Green Bay for the annual Polka Days festival in Pulaski.

Ed is survived by his daughter, Lucy Korhonen, Crystal Falls; sons, John (Theresa), Green Bay, Wis., Steve (Cindy), Chelmsford, Mass., Jim (Volita), Grandville, Mich., and Rich (Carla), Green Bay; and his son-in-law, Leroy Moats, Staunton, Va. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is further survived by a brother, Paul (Cindy) and sisters, Gen Sherwood, Catherine Frazier (Ray), Helen Lubash, Fran Benford and Rose Marie Cowan, along with many nieces and nephews. His sisters-in-law, Em Vinoski, Shirley Vinoski, Kate Pitcher and Joanna (Bill) O'Sullivan also survive.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Dooley; his parents and father-in-law and mother-in-law; daughters, Teresa Moats and Michelle Vinoski; brothers, Walt, Ted and Tom; sister, Sophia Fraysher; and his son-in-law, Gene Korhonen. He was also preceded in death by brothers-in-law, Patrick Cosgrove, Dick Pitcher, Jim Sherwood, Tom Lubash and Ed Benford; and sister-in-law, Erma Vinoski.

A funeral Mass for Ed will be held Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley, Wis. with the Rev. Frank Kordek, OFM as celebrant. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. at the church.

Interment will follow later in the week at Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in Connellsville, Pa.

Memorial donations will be made to several of Ed's favorite causes, particularly the Lions Club Leader Dogs for the Blind.

The family wishes to thank the staff at the Iron County Medical Care Facility for their wonderful and loving care of Ed in the final months of his life.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Ed's dear friend, Jerald Rocco, owner and manager of Lakeside Memorial Chapel Inc., in Wakefield. Condolences may be expressed online at lakesidememorialchapel.com.