Paul J. Masnjak

Paul John Masnjak, 45, of Stambaugh Township, MI, beloved son of Donald and the late Elvira ""Vera"" Masnjak passed away September 1, 2013. He was born October 21, 1967 in Chicago, IL. He graduated from Brother Rice High School in Chicago in 1985, Alma College with a B.A in International Business in 1989 (with study abroad at Gothe Institute, Kassel, Germany where he mastered the German language and spoke it fluently), and the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) with his MBA in 1991 He lived and worked in the Chicago area for a number of years and was the Comptroller of St. Anthony Bank. Paul later moved to Stambaugh Township and was currently employed as an instructor at Bay College in Iron Mountain, MI. He was a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church of Caspian, the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, Lodge #32. He was an active soccer player with Alma College, Croatian Cultural Center S.C. and Lith 's S.C., both of Chicago, and played in the Iron Mountain Adult League. He was a certified high school soccer and hockey referee in both Michigan and Wisconsin and coached youth hockey and soccer teams locally. He was a member of the Sloboda Jr. Tamburitzans in his young and teenage years, and enjoyed Croatian folklore. He was an excellent Tambura (Prim) player and dancer. He was preceded in death by his brother, Kristian and mother, Vera . Paul is survived by his father, Donald of Stambaugh Township, and brothers, Karl (Denise) Masnjak of Naples, FL and Marko (Noreen) Masnjak of Chicago, IL. Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 10 a.m. at St. Cecilia Catholic Church of Caspian, with Rev. Grgeory Veneklase, Pastor, to offer the Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be in St. Mary 's Cemetery, Evergreen Park, IL. Funeral arrangements by the Jacobs Funeral Home of Iron River. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Paul J. Masnjak, please visit our flower store.