Mount Pleasant – Joey "Joe" Gerard Luba, age 62, passed away unexpectedly as the result of a heart attack, while on a usual neighborhood walk, Wednesday, December 23, 2020. Just a couple of hours earlier, he attended mass at St. Lucy Catholic Church, where he received the gift of the Eucharist.

Joe was born in Racine on July 24, 1958 to the late Theodore and Joanne (nee: Menden) Luba. He attended the schools of St. Rose, Goodland and Starbuck and was a 1976 graduate of St. Bonaventure High School. He went on to earn his degree from UW-Superior, as well as a Master's degree in Education from UW-Whitewater.   On November 17, 2001 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, he was united in marriage with the love of his life, Karen L. Peterson.

Joe taught and coached with Racine Unified School District, for many years, at McKinley, Mack Center, Dr. Jones and Walden; and also taught at Racine Montessori, retiring in 2018. Sharing his love of sports with others, Joe coached various soccer teams over the years, including his nieces' RASA teams (The Wolves and "The mighty, mighty Racers"), and the Park Panthers' varsity soccer at Washington Park High School. His former players have shared how he was a coach that saw them as people, and encouraged their academics and community work, as well as passionate play on the field.

With profound Catholic faith, Joe was a faithful member of St. Lucy Catholic Church. Among his interests, Joe truly appreciated being in the outdoors, especially taking long walks along the Lake Michigan lakefront and various parks. He also enjoyed gardening and playing board games with his wife, and always looked forward to attending major sporting events, such as the Rose Bowl. He often shared how much he appreciated the time spent traveling with his family. Annual trips to Camp Masala to end the school year were a tradition for them. Trips to India, the Rocky Mountain Mirror train trip, the national park road trip, his Father-Son trip to Louisiana, as well as trips to Canada, Arizona, and California were adventures that will live on in the hearts of his family.   Above all, Joe was a loving husband and rockstar father, who spent every opportunity with his children. Karen, Yash & Grace were Joe's world!

Surviving are his loving wife, Karen Luba; their adored son, Yash Noah Luba (age 17); their adored daughter, Grace Roopika Luba (age 15); sisters, Vicki (Frank) Jarosz, Terri (John) Tessmann and Cindy (Jim Collis) Tessmann; brother, John Luba; mother-in-law, Agnes Peterson; sisters-in-law & brothers-in-law, Paul (Lori) Peterson, Donna (Mark) Siegesmund, Ron (Dawn) Peterson, Joan (Jon) Frickensmith and Greg (Anne-Marie) Peterson; nieces, nephews, other dear relatives, former students / athletes, and friends – too numerous to mention all by name. Joey was greeted in Heaven by his parents, Ted and Joanne Luba; and father-in-law, Robert Peterson.

PUBLIC visitation for Joe will be held in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Monday, January 4, 2021 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. PRIVATE family services will be held at St. Lucy Catholic Church on Tuesday. You may witness the service livestream on Tuesday at 11:00 am, or afterwards, by clicking on the link located in Joe's obituary on the funeral home website. Memorials to Racine Montessori School, Bloomington, MN, Rotary Foundation (supports Nari Gunjan, an education charity in India), or Masses in Joe's memory have been suggested.

Special note of thanks to Mt. Pleasant Police & Fire Departments for doing everything in their powers in trying to save Joe's life. May God bless all of you!

Service Details

PUBLIC visitation for Joe will be held in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Monday, January 4, 2021 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. PRIVATE family services will be held at St. Lucy Catholic Church on Tuesday.

You may witness the service livestream on Tuesday at 11:00 am, or afterwards, by clicking on the link https://youtu.be/hs-dMrCedL8 .