Joseph John Jopek Jr.

Joseph John Jopek Junior, 92, Antigo, died on Monday, June 2, 2025, following a brief struggle with cancer.

He was born on Feb. 15, 1933, in Chicago, the son of Joseph and Florence (Zwara) Jopek. He graduated from Lindblom High School in 1951 and attended junior college before going to Wisconsin to work on a dairy farm near Montello.

He attended the agriculture short course at the University of Wisconsin/Madison before he was drafted into the United States Army, in which he served two years from 1953 to 1955.

After his service in the Army, he attended the University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana where he earned his degree in agriculture.

It was also during this time that he met and then married Peggy Mason on Jan. 31, 1959.

Following Joe’s graduation, he worked as assistant ag agent for five years in Will County, Illinois. He was recognized for many innovative programs leading to an offer to pursue his Master’s degree in Recreation and Community Development.

He was on the university staff two years before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a position with the federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation.

In 1967, Joe and his young family moved to Effingham, Illinois, after he accepted a position in recreation and community development serving 20 counties. With a background in Boy Scouts, in 1968, he became the leader of Troop 3 of the Boy Scouts. Under his leadership, four Scouts earned their Eagle badges.

In 1972, having always wanting to return to Wisconsin, he and Peg bought a house in Antigo; he was to be the community resource and development (CRD) agent for Langlade County for the next 19 years.

Over the course of that 19 years, he played a key role in establishing an emergency medical service (EMS) and emergency medical technician (EMT) program for Langlade County, worked extensively with the county’s tourism program, with business leaders, with the hospital, with various community groups and was the county’s highway safety coordinator.

In 1973, along with county forester Christy Hauge, Joe began to lay out the first Langlade County segments for the Ice Age Trail. For the next 50 years, he was the county chapter coordinator. He also served on the Ice Age Trail Foundation board of directors, serving as its chairman for one year.

After his retirement in 1991, Joe served with many organizations. In addition to continuing to serve as Langlade County’s coordinator of its Ice Age Trail segments, he was on the board of directors for Langlade County Hospital for 19 years with six of those years as its chairman; served on the board of directors of Wisconsin Public Radio for six years and was on the Antigo Public Library’s Foundation board for 12 years.

Joe’s many interests included reading, drawing barns, plastic model building, military history, the Lewis and Clark expedition, geology, conservation, hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing, art, music and travel.

Over a 31 year period from 1992 to 2023, Joe and Peg visited 378 National Parks and National Historic Sites.

Throughout his life, Joe believed in equal rights and opportunities for everyone.

Survivors include his wife, Peg; sons Brian (Minocqua) and Matthew (Phoenix, Arizona); six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren and a brother, Tom in North Carolina.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents, his oldest son Tim, a grandson, Ryan, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Elvin and Clara Mason and a sister-in-law, Jo Ann Mason.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Joe will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at St. John Catholic Church at 11:00 with Very Revered Joel Sember and Reverend Charles Hoffman officiating. Visitation will take place prior to the service at the church from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Joe's name can be directed towards The Nature Conservancy, The National Wildlife Federation, and St. John Catholic Church.