Dr. Bernard Kulkoski

Dr. Bernard Kulkoski passed away January 17, 2016, at the age of 93. He was born in Scranton, PA on September 5, 1922. Bernard attended Seton Hall and Columbia Universities prior to joining the United States Marine Corp. during WWII. He served as a Corsair fighter pilot in the Pacific Theatre and finished the war as a Captain. After the war he married Joy Sullivan and they moved back to her home state of Wisconsin. Bernard finished his pre-med studies at Marquette University and then went on to obtain his medical degree there. Following an internship at the Marshfield Hospital he began private medical practice in Green Bay. Bernard was in a “family practice in a day and age when GP's did obstetrics, general surgery, orthopedics, and many other areas of medicine that are limited to specialists today. For many years he even did house calls. In the course of his practice he delivered 3000 babies and performed thousands of surgical procedures, often seeing 75 patients a day in his offices. He had privileges at St. Vincent’s, Bellin, and St. Mary’s Hospitals in Green Bay. After closing his Green Bay practice when he turned 65, Bernard joined George Herring in Denmark for a number of years and finished working at age 80 after working for Bellin in their walk-in clinic.

Bernard was an avid private pilot and traveler during his life. He often flew family and friends to all parts of this country and beyond. He and his second wife, Dolores (nee Anderson), flew in their small plane to Alaska a half dozen times, to Western Canada every fall to hunt and fish, and South to occasionally escape winter for a few days. He was a member of the “Flying Physicians” organization. Bernard and Dolores traveled with Reggie and Sara White to Israel. They also went a number of times to South American jungles with scientific teams as well as taking a cruise to of all places Antarctica. In addition to flying and traveling, his passions included hunting, fishing, woodworking, canning, the Packers, card playing, crossword puzzle solving and voracious reading. His favorite place to relax when not flying was his cottage on Boot Lake.

Bernard is survived by his wife of the last 14 years, May (Kasten). He is also survived by his five sons, William (Patricia), Glen (Joy), Michael (Katharine), Daniel (Kat), and Kevin (Debbie), as well as his daughter, Joy Reiseman (Neil). He is further survived by his four stepchildren, Steven Kasten, Denis Kasten (Michele), Molly Spodeck (Paul), and Annemarie Walker (Peter). Bernard leaves behind many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Finally, he is survived by his brother, Stanley.

He was preceded in passing by his parents, wives, Joy and Dolores, as well as his three sisters.

At his request final services will be private for family only. A fund has been established in his name with the proceeds going to the New Community Clinic, 622 Bodart St.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of Unity Hospice.