Joseph V. Korbal, 84
Joseph Vilas Korbal, age 84, passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at his home in Stevens Point. 
Joe was born on September 11, 1934, the son of Roman Korbal and Leonarda “Lenore” (Kehoe) Korbal. After graduating from P.J.Jacobs High School in 1952, Joe attended the university in Stevens Point for two years before serving in the U.S. Army. Joe was stationed at Ft. Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma from 1958 to 1961.
On January 4, 1959, Joe married Mary Ann Steinke and over the years they shared their love of dancing, and their drives to the casino at Bowler to play the nickel slots. Joe retired from Consolidated Papers, Inc. in 1994 and the majority of his 30 years at Consolidated were spent as a utility cost clerk.
Joe was a star athlete in high school and held the record for the 50-yard dash in Stevens Point in the 1950s. He was a shortstop for the Stevens Point baseball league and at one point tried out for the St. Louis Cardinals. Joe was an official member of the Die-Hard Cub’s Fan Club and stuck with the Cubs through thick and thin, never giving up on his favorite baseball team. His dedication to the Cubbies paid off in 2016 when he witnessed his favorite team win the World Series.
Joe was a union steward and worked on labor issues at the mill, serving as a representative on behalf of the employees. Joe loved the outdoors, camping, fishing, golfing, and hunting in his younger days. During his lifetime he had three animals that gave him companionship and joy by the names of Cassie, Daisy, and Kiki. He would take Daisy fishing with him and Kiki would snuggle on his lap while Joe watched the History Channel, National Geographic, the Cubs, and C-SPAN.
Joe passed on his love of animals and the outdoors to his three children, Mary Jo, Barbara, and Michael. Joe earned the nickname “By Golly Joe” from all those who encountered him as he would always end his sentences with a hearty, “By Golly!” He was a man who liked to tell a good joke, especially the Irish ones that featured “Father Paddy.”
He was athletic throughout his life and walked the five miles every day to the paper mill in order to stay in shape. As our friend and neighbor Steve Chappell told us after dad’s death, “I will never forget Joe’s bright smile when I would see him walking down Michigan Avenue on his way home from work.”
Joe will be missed by his wife, children, brother John, nieces and nephews, and relatives. So now that Joe is dancing and smiling with the angels, we would like to tell him one final thing: “Joe, we love you and we will miss you every day, by golly!”
He is survived by his wife Mary Ann (Steinke) Korbal, three children Mary Jo, Barbara, and Michael Korbal and his beloved younger brother John Korbal.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting online www.shudafuneral.com.
