Obituary: Joel Francis Vitchkoski

Joel Francis Vitchkoski, 52, of Merrimack, NH passed away on Friday, February 14, 2014 at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, Ohio.

He was born on June 1, 1961 in Harrisburg, PA to the late Harry Paul and Audrey Jane (Schubauer) Vitchkoski. He has lived in Merrimack for the past 13 years. His first love and first priority were always his family.

He is survived by his wife Kimberly (Bobbi) (nee Davis) Pearl Vitchkoski, whom he married twice on August 29, 1992 in Sunapee, NH and then again on July 24, 1993 in Rootstown, Ohio, and his three dear sons Joshua Curtis Vitchkoski, 17, Dylan Paul Vitchkoski, 15, and Jared Michael Vitchkoski, 12. He is also survived by his five elder siblings, Jill (Luther) Drake of Weare, NH, Paul (Adele) Vitchkoski of Bonaire, GA, Paige O’Donnell, Lyne (Bill) Dempsey, and Brian Vitchkoski of Sioux Falls, SD. He was also a cousin and an uncle, great-uncle and great-great-uncle to many nieces and nephews and a friend to many. He was fortunate to be a stay-at-home father for five years when his three boys were very young.

Joel was a Senior Technical Writer at Arris Group in Lowell, MA, who loved his job and his colleagues. Before that he had worked at Motorola, Avaya and Cabletron. He was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing and a minor in History. He had completed graduate coursework toward a Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Rivier College in Nashua, NH. He graduated from Augusta Technical College and was a 1979 graduate of Glenn Hills High School in Augusta, GA.

He lived most of his younger years in Martinez, GA. He was a passionate creative writer of short stories, novels and poetry. He was a huge football fan, especially of his beloved New England Patriots and in his younger years, his Atlanta Falcons. He loved playing guitar and listening to all types of music, especially jazz, blues, and Southern rock. He was a passionate cook who regularly expressed his love through his creative recipes.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Joel on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 2 pm at the First Congregational Church of Manchester, NH with Reverend Mary Francis Drake, Joel’s niece, officiating along with Pastor Carolyn Keilig. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joel’s honor to the Vitchkoski Family Memorial Fund at http://gfwd.at/1gORFHy. A private family memorial service was held on Sunday, February 16th at Community Bible Church in Rootstown, OH, with Rev. Mary Francis Drake and Pastor Scott Hindel officiating. Cremation was arranged by Shorts Spicer Crislip Funeral Home in Ravenna, OH.