Joe Kachoris

Joseph Thomas Kachoris, age 86 years of Niles, Michigan; father, grandfather, brother, honorable veteran, artist, and neighborhood watchman died peacefully at 1:30 a.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024 at Elkhart Place in Elkhart, Indiana following an extended illness. His family is grateful for the kind and compassionate care provided by the staff of Elkhart Place and Caring Cove Hospice.

He was born on August 15, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts to John and Genevieve (Martins) Kachoris. He enlisted in the United States Air Force as soon as he turned 17-years-old, and was trained as a Radio Interception Operator. He was deployed to a remote base in eastern Canada as a member of the USAF Security Service, listening for and translating Morse Code messages. He was honorably discharged during the Department of Defense downsizing, just short of his four-year obligation, as a veteran of the Korean Conflict.

Joe went to school afterwards at Bay State Academy where he met Starr Helen Culbertson who also served in the United States Air Force, observing and forecasting the weather. They fell in love and were married on March 1, 1959 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Joe worked numerous jobs at Logan International airport until he owned his own janitorial service, the SparKleen commercial cleaning services. After having three children, Joe and Starr decided to move to Michigan to help Starr’s family’s grocery store in Baldwin, Michigan, learning meatcutting, and later moved to Edwardsburg, Michigan where he continued as a meatcutter. Eventually, Joe came to Niles as a sales representative for various motorfreight services, and later started his own business constructing shipping pallets, which he continued for twenty years prior to retirement.

He was a talented artist, drawing and painting, and is well-known for his depictions of cartoon characters in his garage and on his golf cart. He also collected and displayed military memorabilia specific to his time in the service and other wars. As a young father, he enjoyed camping with his family in New England, especially New Hampshire, and later enjoyed spending winters in Pharr, Texas. In retirement, he spent many hours touring his neighborhood on his golf cart, accompanied by his pet dogs, the Shih-tzus “Jazzy” and “Pixie”, and their successor Yorkie, “Daffy”, often stopping to visit with neighbors.

Joe and Starr celebrated the remarkable Fifty-Nineth Anniversary of their wedding prior to her death on May 13, 2018. They were sadly preceded in death by a son, Joseph L. Kachoris on February 12, 2013. Joe was also preceded in death by a sister, Genevieve Bessler in 2016.

Surviving family includes his children, Michael Kachoris (& Maggie Martinez) of Buda, Texas and Linda Kachoris of Niles; grandchildren Jeffrey (& Dawn) Kachoris, Brittany Cihak, Jonathan (& Rebecca) Medlin, and Michael Coon (& Taylor Czerwinski); great-grandchildren Brayden, Bree, Braxton, Myah, and Oliver; and Joe’s siblings, Mimi (& Leo) Cotta of Delray Beach, Florida, John Kachoris of Conway, South Carolina, Patti Smith of Pepperell, Massachusetts, JoAnne Deming of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and Tom (& Betty) Kachoris of Milton, New Hampshire; and many nieces and nephews.

The family of Joe Kachoris will receive relatives and friends on Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., at his home on Missions East in Niles.  During that gathering, at 2:30 p.m. the Veterans Flag Presentations and "Taps" for both Airman First Class Joseph Kachoris and Airman Second Class Starr Culbertson Kachoris will be conducted by the United States Air Force Honor Guard. Committal for both will be at a later date, at Fort Custer National Cemetery near Augusta, Michigan. Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Online condolences and memories may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Joe clearly enjoyed life. He and Starr traveled though many of the United States, before his travels through the neighborhood with his dog, and his wonderful artwork in the garage; but he also served well in the military, and worked hard with his cleaning service and pallet company. More important was those closest to him, Starr, his kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and the dogs.