Steve and Katherine Kirbos

Steve Kirbos, 94

November 26, 1928 – October 13, 2022

Katherine (Pfeil) Kirbos, 97

April 29, 1925 – November 9, 2022

Two people were born in the former Yugoslavia in the region which is now Croatia, migrated to post World War II Austria, found each other as teenagers, married in 1951 and emigrated to the United States of America later that year. Their daughter Mary was born the following year and Steve two years after.

Settling in East Brunswick, NJ, they were both employed by Decorated Metal in Milltown, working opposite shifts and sharing one truck for transportation.

Kathy, the daughter of a prominent mason, and Steve, skilled in wood-working, set out to build their own home in East Brunswick with their own hands. Steve went on to work at Deans Manufacturing in South Brunswick. In 1960 after the birth of their third child, Anthony, they built a machine fabricating business. Steve’s Manufacturing served many local industries through Steve’s engineering & design, and repair & modification of industrial production equipment. Kathy volunteered much of her time at the Brunswick Park Nursing Home in New Brunswick.

They hosted many company parties and family dinners, always with Kathy’s fine home cooking and Steve’s homemade wine from grapes they grew in their backyard. Their vegetable garden and fruit trees were a great source of pride as well as healthful produce; named Steve and Kathy’s paradise by friends and neighbors.

Steve and Kathy were faithful parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Milltown for seventy years. For more than thirty years, they sang with the choirs of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Church of the Sacred Heart, New Brunswick.

In their later years, Steve and Kathy were blessed with eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Having been lovingly nurtured by Grandma in their early years, all her children and grandchildren began school with little German accents.

Two people found love in war-torn Europe, found faith in God and hope in the American dream, and built a life together. Their motto of seventy-three years: “We always do everything together”. The family they loved so much is saddened by their passing from this world but joyful in the promise they will enter the Lord’s heavenly paradise – together.

Steve was the son of the late Joseph and Julianna (Zdarski) Kirbos; brother of Carl Kirbos and the late Joseph Kirbos.

Katherine was the daughter of the late Martin and Maria (Konecnick) Pfeil; sister of Matthias Pfeil, Stephan, the late Rose (Pfeil) Ivanetic, the late Anna (Pfeil) Scheuner, the late Maria (Pfeil) Fradl, the late Josephine (Pfeil) Galjatz, and the late Elizabeth (Pfeil) Gerke.

Steve and Katherine are survived by their children Mary V. Kirbos-Mowad & her husband Ron Mowad, Steve Kirbos & his wife Joan (Kaminski) Kirbos, and Tony Kirbos & his wife Karen (Tasy) Kirbos; grandchildren Robert Kirbos & his wife Noreen (Coyne) Kirbos, Sheila Kirbos, Stephen Kirbos & his wife Rachael (Gabler) Kirbos, Catherine Kirbos & her husband Rob Hage, Julianne Kirbos, Anthony Kirbos, Kristin Webb & her husband Ryan, and Matthew Kirbos & his fiancé Amber; great-grandchildren Michael, Erin, Sean, and Nolan.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a Memorial Funeral Mass for Steve and Kathy on Saturday November 26th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 233 North Main Street, Milltown, NJ. All are welcome to gather at church prior to Mass any time after 9:00 a.m. Interment will be private at a later date in Holy Cross Burial Park, East Brunswick, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Steve and Katherine’s name to the charity of your choice.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Ron Mowad Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Union, NJ. (www.mowadfuneralservice.com)