Anthony Kielpinski

Anthony “Tony” Kielpinski, age 83, passed away peacefully at Willowbrook Assisted Living on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Stevens Point on March 27, 1937, he was the son of the late Benjamin and Emily (Zalewski) Kielpinski.   Anthony was a graduate of Stevens Point High School.

He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the National Association of Letter Carriers.

On February 7, 1959 at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church – Wisconsin Rapids, WI, he was united in marriage to Janice Mae Pagels. After spending 24 years together, Janice preceded him in death on December 18, 1983.

From October 20, 1956 until October 29, 1958, Tony proudly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving 14 months in Okinawa Japan.

He was employed with the U.S. Postal Service for 28 years as a mail carrier. Then 18 years in the lunchroom as a Lunchroom Supervisor for Vernon Elementary School and Stocker Elementary School. Tony’s daughter Kris and granddaughter Tiffany have followed his path of service by working with the Postal Service.

Tony was passionate about supporting his family. He enjoyed watching his children and grandchildrens’ sporting events (mostly basketball). It brought him joy. He made three trips to Anchorage to cheer on his granddaughter in the Great Alaska shootout. He made time to see some of their biggest accomplishments. Whether it was a boot camp graduation, a marriage, meeting his great granddaughter or attending that important game, he made the effort. In his spare time, Tony enjoyed gardening, baking rhubarb crunch and zucchini bread, sudoku puzzles and was an avid Brewers and Packers fan. Those that knew Tony knew the man loved to eat. He was usually the last man standing at the buffet and had his own process of getting syrup on his pancakes. He enjoyed watching movies and was a regular blood donor.

Tony was more than just a man of God. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandpa and a papa. For the Prentiss family, he was a father figure for Amanda and Tiffany. He would fly out and spend time with them, take them to Arizona to visit family, and spend holidays with them. He would do what a dad should do. While growing up he was an inspiration to the family, and still is. He was a fighter to the very end. He was and still is the glue that holds the families together. He was essentially the patriarch of the family. The amount of dedication and time he spent to ensure that all of them knew how much they meant to him was overwhelming.

He is survived by his children, Mark (Nancy) Kielpinski, Deb (Dan) Klemisch and Kris Prentiss; his grandchildren, Rebecca and Bryan Kielpinski, Jessica (Steve) Webster, Amanda Prentiss, Tiffany Schweiger, Kevin Klemisch and a great-granddaughter, Kennedy Marie Webster.

In addition to his parents, Anthony was preceded in death by his wife Janice, his brother, Norbert Kielpinski and his sister, Germaine Sztapka.

A special thank you to the staff at Willowbrook/Brookside. The friendship and amazing, compassionate care you provided for Tony will be forever remembered.