GLADSTONE - Barbara Ann Kaski, 76, of 7011 Hwy 2 & 41, Gladstone, passed away Saturday morning, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Marquette General Hospital in Marquette following a brief illness.
Barbara was born April 3, 1935, in Duluth, Minn., the daughter of Samuel Austin Plankey and Borghild (Nelsen) Plankey. She was raised in Kenosha, Wis., and Iron Mountain, Mich., and later Crystal Falls, Mich. Barb was a 1953 graduate of Crystal Falls High School. She continued her education at the St. Joseph School of Nursing in Hancock where she received her R.N. degree. Barb's nursing career began at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing while her future husband, Marvin Kaski, was attending the School of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University.
Barb was united in marriage to Marvin Carl Kaski on Sept. 1, 1956. They started their family in East Lansing, and later settled in Crystal Falls where Barb and Marvin began the Marvin Kaski Veterinary Clinic. They moved to Escanaba in 1969 and opened the Bay Veterinary Clinic where Barb was the office manager until their retirement in 1995.
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Barbara Ann Kaski
Barb was a member of the St. Thomas Catholic Church, Lady Lions, Mahjong Gals and the "Seven Hugs Club." She was an avid and enthusiastic dancer despite having contracted polio as a child and dealing with the resultant lingering chronic leg pain. She loved to have fun and was often referred to as the life of the party. To know Barb was to appreciate that with Barb, "what you see is what you get." Besides dancing and having fun, her hobbies included working crossword puzzles, reading, watching movies, rating cheeseburgers at establishments far and wide, attending her grandchildren's sporting events and lounging on the deck with friends, family and their many dogs over the years, including Amos, Maynard, and Bingo.
Barb was inseparable from her (usually eccentric) hats - a good warm tuque did wonders for her sinuses! (she would say) - and could always be seen day or night with a different one on.
Barb loved and adored her husband and she treasured spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. To say she will be sadly missed is a huge understatement. Her hugs will be missed by all that were lucky enough to ever have received one. Her philosophy was everyone needs seven hugs a day and she always did her best to make sure the people that she loved got everything they needed, hugs, love, a listening ear, or whatever else it took. The ability to laugh at herself was one of Barb's most endearing qualities and she helped others through many tough times by encouraging them to appreciate the absurdities in life and take themselves less seriously.
In addition to her husband of 55 years, Marvin, survivors include: children, Kathy (Dan Mylander) Paulson of Escanaba, Lynn (Ken) Curtis of Cornell, Mike (Reid) Kaski of Richmond, Va., Laurie Ann (David) Hammar of Rock, Patrick (Terri) Kaski of Marquette; grandchildren, Kyle Paulson, Scott Young, Jeremy Young, Griffin Curtis, Shane and Joshua Kaski, Sarah Ann and John Carl Hammar, Brendan Kaski, and Eric and Joseph Young; great-grandchildren, Kaiden, Maliha and Zoe Young, Malory and Avery Young; sister, Jeanne Larsen of Milwaukee, Wis.; eight nieces and nephews, several cousins and her special canine companion Clyde.
In addition to her parents, her brother Bobbie, preceded Barbara in death.
Barbara's family will receive friends on Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Skradski Family Funeral Home in Escanaba.
Funeral services celebrating the life of Barbara Ann Kaski will follow at 6 p.m. at the Skradski Family Funeral Home in Escanaba with Rev. Fr. Rick Courier of the St. Thomas Catholic Church officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Barb may be directed to the Detroit Rescue Mission.
Please visit www.skradski-boycefuneralhomes.com where you can express your sympathy to the Kaski family, or to leave a memory tribute about Barb.
