James Gerald Kostielney, 66, lost his battle with cancer, surrounded at home by his family, on March 26, 2008.
The celebration of life services for Jim will be at Cutler Funeral Home in LaPorte on Friday March 28th at 7:00 PM Visitation 3 -7:00 PM Friday at the Funeral Home. Cremation will follow.
Jim was born on December 11, 1941 in South Bend to Maurice and Marie (Bolstedder) Kostielney, both deceased. Jim married Barbara Kurzke in Buchanan, MI in February 1961; they divorced in October 1981. On May 10, 1985, Jim married Janet Wood Unger, who survives.
Jim's life-long love for golf began when he was just 9 years old; during his last golfing years, Jim had a 4 handicap and regularly drove 300 yards. During his earlier years, Jim created a car club while a student at Riley High School in South Bend, and he raced boats on the St. Joseph River there while in his 20's. He attended the Chicago Institute of Art; his artwork, practiced throughout his life, included pen/ink, chalk renderings and welded metal sculpture. Jim developed an interest in garden ponds and Japanese koi, building ponds for friends and family and raising fish in home ponds.
Jim's career included positions as plant manager for Copco, South Bend; Syracuse Mobile Products, Syracuse; and H-H & Sons, Michigan City. He was also purchasing manager for National Can in LaPorte. But his passion was always building and renovating homes, and the last several decades of his life were spent pursuing that passion. Jim worked closely with Habitat for Humanity in both LaPorte and St. Joseph Counties, building 24 homes. He was instrumental in the Christmas In April project for many years, during which hundreds of homes were improved for elderly and needy families in Michigan City. Jim served on the Michigan City Housing Authority board of directors, as president for seven years. He was a member of the Horizon 2000 Strategic Plan Commission for the Michigan City Area. Working closely with former Mayor Robert Behler, Jim provided emergency assistance to elderly and needy families who had damage to their homes during storms. Jim and Mayor Behler made a proposal to the Michigan City Area Schools to purchase the old Central School with the intent to turn it into a central location for social services; Jim led teams of volunteers and did much of the renovations to the building which has since become the IBEW/NECA building and which still houses many community services. Jim spent more than a dozen years as a building contractor with his own companies Wood DeckIt and Kostielney Konstruction; during these years, Jim hired all three sons and many of their friends and then taught them construction skills which they use to this day. When an accident ended his building career, he became Director of Weatherization, a state-funded program provided through the North Central Community Action Agency. Through this position, Jim helped low-income, elderly and disadvantaged families reduce their energy consumption and their utility bills.
Jim leaves behind this amazing family: three sons - Rick (Sherri Shelton) Kostielney [LaPorte], Todd (Catherine) Unger [LaPorte], and Aaron (Jennifer) Unger [Westville}; three daughters Christina Jirtle [LaPorte], Tricia (Kris) Peters [Niles, MI], and Jennifer (Brent Soller) Payne [LaPorte]; 13 grandchildren Angel (Matt Lee) Bolka [Wheaton, IL], Alisa (Joseph Pratt) Jirtle [LaPorte], Meggan Kostielney [Tucson, AZ], Shaira Shelton [LaPorte], Nicole Coussens-Peters [Niles, MI], Alissondra Unger, and Makennah Unger (Westville, IN), Shayna Shelton, Alexander Jirtle, Michael Payne III, Ethan Payne, Alizabeth Jirtle, Maxwell Unger and one great-grandson Drew Pratt [all of LaPorte]. Jim also leaves behind one sister, Victoria (Steve) Parish [Decatur, MI.]
Jim's compassion, strong desire to make positive changes in his community, and his wonderful laugh and sense of humor will be remembered by the thousands of lives he touched. He will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Brain Tumor Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 or The VNA Hospice of Michigan City, 901 S. Woodland Ave, Michigan City, IN 46360
Friends and Family may leave condolences and sign the register book at www.cutlerfuneral.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of James Gerald Kostielney, please visit our flower store.
The celebration of life services for Jim will be at Cutler Funeral Home in LaPorte on Friday March 28th at 7:00 PM Visitation 3 -7:00 PM Friday at the Funeral Home. Cremation will follow.
Jim was born on December 11, 1941 in South Bend to Maurice and Marie (Bolstedder) Kostielney, both deceased. Jim married Barbara Kurzke in Buchanan, MI in February 1961; they divorced in October 1981. On May 10, 1985, Jim married Janet Wood Unger, who survives.
Jim's life-long love for golf began when he was just 9 years old; during his last golfing years, Jim had a 4 handicap and regularly drove 300 yards. During his earlier years, Jim created a car club while a student at Riley High School in South Bend, and he raced boats on the St. Joseph River there while in his 20's. He attended the Chicago Institute of Art; his artwork, practiced throughout his life, included pen/ink, chalk renderings and welded metal sculpture. Jim developed an interest in garden ponds and Japanese koi, building ponds for friends and family and raising fish in home ponds.
Jim's career included positions as plant manager for Copco, South Bend; Syracuse Mobile Products, Syracuse; and H-H & Sons, Michigan City. He was also purchasing manager for National Can in LaPorte. But his passion was always building and renovating homes, and the last several decades of his life were spent pursuing that passion. Jim worked closely with Habitat for Humanity in both LaPorte and St. Joseph Counties, building 24 homes. He was instrumental in the Christmas In April project for many years, during which hundreds of homes were improved for elderly and needy families in Michigan City. Jim served on the Michigan City Housing Authority board of directors, as president for seven years. He was a member of the Horizon 2000 Strategic Plan Commission for the Michigan City Area. Working closely with former Mayor Robert Behler, Jim provided emergency assistance to elderly and needy families who had damage to their homes during storms. Jim and Mayor Behler made a proposal to the Michigan City Area Schools to purchase the old Central School with the intent to turn it into a central location for social services; Jim led teams of volunteers and did much of the renovations to the building which has since become the IBEW/NECA building and which still houses many community services. Jim spent more than a dozen years as a building contractor with his own companies Wood DeckIt and Kostielney Konstruction; during these years, Jim hired all three sons and many of their friends and then taught them construction skills which they use to this day. When an accident ended his building career, he became Director of Weatherization, a state-funded program provided through the North Central Community Action Agency. Through this position, Jim helped low-income, elderly and disadvantaged families reduce their energy consumption and their utility bills.
Jim leaves behind this amazing family: three sons - Rick (Sherri Shelton) Kostielney [LaPorte], Todd (Catherine) Unger [LaPorte], and Aaron (Jennifer) Unger [Westville}; three daughters Christina Jirtle [LaPorte], Tricia (Kris) Peters [Niles, MI], and Jennifer (Brent Soller) Payne [LaPorte]; 13 grandchildren Angel (Matt Lee) Bolka [Wheaton, IL], Alisa (Joseph Pratt) Jirtle [LaPorte], Meggan Kostielney [Tucson, AZ], Shaira Shelton [LaPorte], Nicole Coussens-Peters [Niles, MI], Alissondra Unger, and Makennah Unger (Westville, IN), Shayna Shelton, Alexander Jirtle, Michael Payne III, Ethan Payne, Alizabeth Jirtle, Maxwell Unger and one great-grandson Drew Pratt [all of LaPorte]. Jim also leaves behind one sister, Victoria (Steve) Parish [Decatur, MI.]
Jim's compassion, strong desire to make positive changes in his community, and his wonderful laugh and sense of humor will be remembered by the thousands of lives he touched. He will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Brain Tumor Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 or The VNA Hospice of Michigan City, 901 S. Woodland Ave, Michigan City, IN 46360
Friends and Family may leave condolences and sign the register book at www.cutlerfuneral.com