Joseph John Kubis

Mr. Kubis passed away on May 16,2025 from natural causes. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Kathleen M. Kubis (nee Doody) and his two children: Joseph H. and Anne M. His parents were Professor Joseph F. Kubis of Fordham University and Stella Rokitnicki. Born in Manhattan, he grew up in Green Point, Brooklyn.

Educated at MIT and Princeton University, he earned degrees in Physics. His main field was atomic physics. He loved teaching and taught at Texas A&M, Cambridge University in the UK, and Michigan State University. He also became a theoretical research scientist at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to work at the nuclear physics company KMS Fusion. His final work years were at Ford Motor Company as a Research Engineer Software/Hardware Department where, among other things, he developed software to model crumple zones on cars.

As much as he was a scientist, he loved being a father. He participated in both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, was assistant coach for Little League with his son (first time he was involved in baseball), went to the "Daddy Daughter' dances (first time he attended a dance), and spent many hours in the parent's chair for karate and ballet lessons.

Throughout his life, he was active in the Catholic church and choir. Learning Latin during high school, he sang in the Gregorian chant choir at MIT and participated in church choirs in every parish he joined. Singing with the choir at St. Mary's Student Chapel is also where he met his future wife, Kathleen, in 1976. Throughout the 1980's he sang with the UM Choral Union while joining the choir at his final parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church.

As he once exclaimed before Alzheimer’s overwhelmed him:"It's been quite a ride!".

Funeral services will be held on May 28th at St. Francis of Assisi Church,2250 E.Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Family and friends will meet in the gathering space from 10:30 to11:30 am- Mass will begin at 11:30. The service will be live streamed via the parish web site. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name would be welcome to Food Gatherers or St.Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.