Joseph William Luniak

Joseph William Luniak, age 82, passed away on May 26, 2023 at Peabody Manor in Appleton. He was born December 9, 1940, in Appleton to the late Howard and Ethel (Brux) Luniak, and was the oldest and only boy, of 12 children. He attended grade school at Holy Angels Catholic School in Darboy and graduated from Kimberly High School in 1958. The quote next to the photo in his senior yearbook reads, “The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” 

In December of 1963, Joe entered basic training at the U.S. Army Infantry Training Center in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was in Company C, Third Battalion, and First Brigade. He completed his training in February of 1964 and served in the Army Reserves for six years.  

Joe started his painting and sandblasting business in 1967, using his last $100 to buy his first compressor and go into business for himself. With the help of his family (especially his sister Dottie, brother-in-law Butch) and plans from Architect Henry Miles, Joe built his dream house next to the site of his business on Manitowoc Road in the Town of Harrison in 1978.

Over the years, Joe served in a number of leadership roles for the trade associations Painting and Decorating Contractors of America and the International Maintenance Institute. As one of the founders of the Harrison Athletic Association, he volunteered his time and sponsored many softball teams.

In 1975, Joe bought his first sawmill and restored “a pile of junk” to working order. He used the sawmill to cut some of the wood used in the house he built for his family, and then converted the saw mill into a portable mill, along with the addition of a shingle mill, to take to Antique Farm Machinery shows to demonstrate how wood and shingles were cut in the “old days.”

In his later years, yellow and green tractors “kept following him home” and John Deere tractors filled up his shop. He restored the tractors (along with his brother-in-law Gary Thiel) to their original glory, and spent many weekends from May through September at Farm Progress Days, Breakfast on the Farm and other tractor shows sharing his collection or pulling people around the show in a wagon.  

Joe also liked to dance, and spent many weekends enjoying polka music, where he met his companion of the last seven years, Janet Johnson.  

Joe is survived by his children, Rhonda (Eldon Walker) Luniak of Elizabeth, Colo., Renee (Ken Gilmeister) Luniak of Menasha, and Joe (Tonya) Luniak of Kildeer, Ill., and his grandchildren Christopher Walker, Morgan Walker, Lauren Gilmeister, Ally Gilmeister, Alex Gilmeister, and Kylie Luniak.  He is also survived by his sisters Kathleen French, Dorothy (Butch) Skalmusky, Mary (Frank) Hall, Ruth (Paul) Vosters, Alice (Carl) Romenesko, Rose (Jeff) Hermus, Diane Luniak, Barb (Jim) Koeing, Julie (Steven) Kamps, and Ellen (Bob) Carney; brother-in-law Frank Helander; and many nieces and nephews. 

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Jay Robert Luniak; his sister, Marjorie Helander.

A funeral service for Joe will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Christ the Rock Community Church in Menasha. Family and friends will be received at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 a.m. Interment will take place at the Portland Cemetery in Brandt at 1:45 p.m.

Charitable donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association in honor of Joe Luniak. A memorial fund is being established.

Joe’s family would like to thank all of the health care workers at Rennes, Peabody Manor and Theda Care Hospice who cared for him over the last few months.  

He was loved by family and friends and will be missed.

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