Joseph Kostiuk, Jr. ’60

Joseph Kostiuk, Jr., age 84, of Deerfield, Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly at Baystate Medical in Springfield on June 28, 2023.

Joe was born February 14, 1939, the son of Mary (Paciesnik) Kostiuk and Joseph Kostiuk, Sr. After elementary school in Deerfield, he graduated from Deerfield Academy in Deerfield. He then earned his Bachelor of Marine Science from Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, and later went on to get his Master of Business Administration degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. He also retired from the Naval Reserve after several years of inactive duty.

Upon graduation from Maine Maritime, Joe worked for Isbrantsen Shipping lines aboard the Flying Spray traveling the world. Before taking a position with American Enka in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, he was employed by United Technologies as a test engineer. After some years, he began his submarine career at the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut. At Electric Boat he served as a Cost Engineer and then a Nuclear engineer spending much time at sea trials testing submarines before they were turned over to the United States Navy. In 1985, he and his wife decided to move to Deerfield where his parents and the parents of his wife still lived so he found a position at Millitech in South Deerfield as a Cost Engineer. When he retired from Millitech, he decided to continue working and served as the Deerfield Fire District Water Superintendent for several years while also running his own car business called Country Roads focusing on Corvettes but dealing in all makes of cars for his customers.

In 1965, he married Margaret Kisloski of South Deerfield. Joe and his wife moved to Connecticut upon their marriage and lived there for 20 years but decided to return to Deerfield in 1985. Prior to the move, Joe and his family lived in Salem, Connecticut, where Joe served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and as a Selectman. He also volunteered as a Little League coach both before and after the birth of his son. He particularly liked coaching his son. His teams often won championships because Joe was a coach with high expectations and, much to his delight, the young players responded.

During his retirement, Joe and his wife traveled extensively to China, Russia, Egypt, Europe, the middle east among other countries. As a member of the National Corvette Restorers Society, Joe and Peg traveled across and around the USA multiple times on road tours. Through these travels they made many new lasting friends from the US and Canada. All had the same interest: Corvettes.

Joe’s survivors include his wife, Margaret (Peg), his son Jeff and daughter-in-law Monique along with granddaughter Allison and grandson Troy all of Deerfield as well as step-grandson Morgan Magee of Chatham, Massachusetts.

Services for Joe will be Saturday, July 8th, with calling hours at 10:00 AM and the service at 11:00 at the Wrisley Funeral Home, Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield with Rev. Randy Calvo officiating.