Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
FUNERAL HOME
Joe Kuszai Obituary
East Lansing - Passed peacefully at home surrounded by family on February 12, 2019. He taught Graphic Design at Michigan State University for 50 years. Born in 1932 in Hartford and raised on a tobacco farm in Glastonbury, Connecticut, he enlisted in the USAF during the Korean War. While stationed at Dover, Joe met the love of his life, Shirley Collins of Laurel, Delaware. They married in 1956. Joe earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Yale University. In New York in the early 1960s, Joe was a designer at Columbia Records, and Clarke & Way publishers, a photographer for Look Magazine and more. In the mid 60s, he joined the Department of Art at Michigan State University, where he taught until 2014. Joe was an innovative educator, an evangelist of process-oriented design education. In the 80s, he founded the first Apple Mac lab dedicated to design. A colorful figure on campus riding his '66 Vespa in a white eggshell helmet, Joe loved MSU and Detroit sports teams, as well as boxing and golf. He loved cooking and cars, while late in life indulging himself with a Model A from his birth year.
Shirley preceded him in 2017. In addition to his three children, Christine, Joel and Cara, he is survived by his brothers James and Edward; sisters Susan and Jackie; four grandchildren, Dylan, Noa, Oskar and Joya; and a daughter-in-law, Kendra.
There will be a memorial at the Kuszai residence in East Lansing on March 16, 2019. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Joe and Shirley Kuszai Endowed Scholarship in Graphic Design at Michigan State University. To share memories and condolences please visit www.SkinnerFuneralHomes.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Joe Kuszai
Sponsored by Skinner Funeral Home - Lansing.
1 Entry
Jude 2
February 17, 2019
My sincere condolences to the family at this sorrowful occasion. As time passes and fond memories come to mind hoping they bring you a measure of comfort. May mercy and peace and love be increased to you.
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 results
Make a Donation
in Joe Kuszai's name
Memorial Events
for Joe Kuszai
How to support Joe's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
The Five Stages of Grief
They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreWays to honor Joe Kuszai's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
