Raymond "Ray" Korinek

Raymond (Ray) Korinek, cherished husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully at his home in St. Francis, Wisconsin, on the morning of July 16, 2026. He was 89 years old.

Ray was born on December 28, 1936, to Edward Korinek and Eleanor (Best) Korinek. Alongside his brothers Richard and Michael and sister Irene, Ray was born and raised in Milwaukee. He attended Washington High School (class of ’55) and, after serving two years in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, he pursued trade school and an apprenticeship as a draftsman and sheet metal worker.

Ray met Diane in 1966 at the Piccadilly Bar in Green Bay. After a long-distance courtship, they married in 1971 and shared 55 years of marriage together. They raised their three children, Kim, Russell, and Kerry, in Pewaukee, WI. Ray was deeply devoted to his children and instilled in each of them an appreciation for education, love of nature, and spirit of adventure. Ray also loved a long road trip, driving cross-country numerous times to visit his children in Washington, Oregon, Ohio, and Utah, and to many a hunting and fishing destination.

Ray worked as a draftsman and sheet metal worker; his career spanned several of Milwaukee’s building trades companies, including Alfred Goethel Sheet Metal, Butters Fetting, and Fischer Industries. He was a longtime member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 18. After a 42-year career, Ray retired and shortly after moved to Park Falls, WI, where he and Diane enjoyed 17 years living beside Lake Cochran, deep in the woods that he loved so much. Outside of work, Ray enjoyed hunting, fishing, trap shooting, and Brewers and Packer games. Ray is remembered for his dry wit, his mischievous grin, and his quiet and steadfast love for his kids.

Ray was an avid sportsman whose adventures brought him to diverse, beautiful, and wild settings around the world, from moose and elk hunting in Canada and Alaska, to deep-sea fishing off the coast of Ecuador. But his passion was fishing on the Great Lakes and the inland lakes of northern Wisconsin. An expert planner of outdoor outings, Ray was always happy to take a friend or family member out fishing or hunting, sharing his knowledge of the outdoors while building family and friendship. His family's memories and gratitude run deep for abundant family fish fries, generous sharing of expert anglers’ advice, and special mornings spent together on the lake.

Ray is survived by his wife, Diane (Sevcik) Korinek, three children, Kim Korinek, Russell Korinek, and Kerry Korinek; sons-in-law Nicholas von Stackelberg and Kevin Thompson; daughter-in-law Molly McKee; and three grandchildren, Sebastian von Stackelberg, Hazel Korinek, and Rowan Korinek. Ray was preceded in death by his father, Edward; his mother, Eleanor; and his brother, Richard.

A funeral honoring Ray will be held on Friday, July 31, at Pagenkopf Funeral Home, Oconomowoc (Location of Pagenkopf Funeral Home: We are located just South of Aurora Summit Hospital, east on Delafield Road), beginning at 10:00 am, with a service to follow at 12:00 pm. All are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (contributions may be made at https://give.michaeljfox.org/campaign/754698/donate) or Ducks Unlimited (contributions may be made at https://www.ducks.org/get-involved/memorial-giving).