Obituary of James A. Kubiak

James A. Kubiak, 80, of Niles, passed away at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. James was born on September 13, 1935 to the late Leo and Mary Jo (Wiatrolik) Kubiak in South Bend. After graduating from Niles High School, class of 1954, James attended ACME School of Tool and Die. He worked as a machinist for CNC Products in Niles, where he retired in 1997. On May 2, 1959, James wed Kathleen Haskins at a ceremony in Niles. He was an avid Notre Dame Football and NASCAR fan, enjoyed playing poker with friends and family and many years of bowling in various leagues in Niles. He also had a passion for cars, including his Corvettes. Many years ago, James and Kathleen could be found at the Osceola Drag Strip where he raced cars. He also liked to build model airplanes and automobiles. He was a lifelong member of Saint Mary Catholic Church, in Niles, where he also attended grade school. His greatest love was time spent with family, especially his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughters; Danielle Kubiak, Denise Kubiak and Nina Bradley; and a brother William Kubiak. James is survived by his wife of 56 years, Kathleen of Niles; children; Brent Kubiak of Niles, Dean (Lynn) Kubiak of Aurora, Illinois, Tricia (Richard) Bonne of Niles and Shelley (Jason) Lietz of Buchanan; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A time of visitation will be held on Sunday, January 10, 2016 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home in Niles, with recitation of The Rosary at 5:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles on Monday at 11:00 a.m. An interment will be held at Silverbrook Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in James' memory to St. Mary's Catholic School, 217 S Lincoln Ave., Niles, Michigan 49120.