Joseph Makarewicz, age 88, of Kenosha, passed away at his home on Monday, October 17, 2016.

Born in Kenosha on August 23, 1928, he was the son of the late Joseph V. and Anna (Wojnicz) Makarewicz.  He attended St. Casimir grade school, where he was an altar boy and Sacristan to the future Monsignor Leo Kierstein.

Joe was a 1946 graduate of Mary D. Bradford High School where he was a member of the Big 8 championship football and track teams.  He earned first team all-state honors in football and was a starter in the first high school all-star game at Camp Randall, which they won.  In track, he set school records in the 200-yard dash and the 880 relay team, placing 3^rd in both events at State.  Joe also made the scholastic honor roll.  After dropping out of the University of Wisconsin, he played football for Ed Wavro’s Lincoln Pharmacy.  He later accepted an athletic scholarship to Drake University and played both ways for four varsity years.  His greatest highlight was an upset Salad Bowl victory (prelude to the Fiesta Bowl) over the University of Arizona on January 1, 1949.

After graduating in 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and became an officer in the largest class in Marine Corps history.  He was stationed at Quantico, VA on the Potomac River and was assigned to Intelligence, working with the FBI and Secret Service.  Joe was also a member of the Quantico football team.  His greatest highlight was the repossession of actor, Errol Flynn’s Yacht for back taxes, which was used for the service men.

Upon his release in 1953, retiring as Captain, Joe was signed to play for the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL.  After suffering a hamstring injury, he returned to Drake University to pursue a Master’s Degree in School Administration.  He began teaching and coaching in the Des Moines school system. After his extensive athletic career, Joe was honored to have been inducted into the Kenosha Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1956, he was united in marriage to Judith Springer.  After that marriage dissolved, he was united in marriage to Patricia (O’Hare) Graham at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in 1970.

In 1957, Joe joined W. R. Grace in the cryovac division of the sales department, where he called on cheese, sausage and poultry accounts, while living in Oshkosh.  He also assisted in the development of curing fresh meat and aging cheese in cryovac vacuum bags.  Later, he joined Star-Line Optical and became the Midwest Regional Manager.  When Joe was semi-retired, he taught school in Salem and was also a substitute teacher in Kenosha.

Joe is survived by a son, Charles; his step-children, Chris (Joanne), Mike (Cindy) and James (Nancy) Graham; and a sister, Betty Meisenhiemer.  He is further survived by a granddaughter, Megan Pray, step-grandchildren, Julie Graham, Shannon (Doug) Williams and Alex Graham and three great grandchildren, Sawyer Dove, Graham Williams, and Adalynn Cooker; as well as several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Pamela Pray and his brother, Rev. Florian J. Mac.

Service Info

Funeral Services honoring Joe will be held on Saturday, November 12th. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 7400 39th Avenue, Kenosha, WI. Private inurnment was held at St. James Cemetery.