Lee D. Martinovich, age 73, of the town of Armenia (Nekoosa) passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at his home.

A celebration of Lee’s life will be held from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM Monday October 8, 2018 at the Nekoosa Area Senior Community Center with lunch served (416 Crestview Lane, Nekoosa). Burial will be at 11:00 AM Monday at the Babcock Cemetery. Feldner/Ritchay Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Lee was born October 10, 1944 in Babcock to Peter and Marjorie (Cooley) Martinovich. He was a 1962 graduate of Pittsville High School. From 1963 to 1965 Lee served in the US Army where he was stationed in Germany. He was part of the Minuteman mobile missiles while spending time on the Russian border. Lee married Patti Ann Kniprath on December 31, 1993 in Sterling, Alaska. He and Patti would have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year on New Year’s Eve.

Lee was a certified welding inspector. He held roles as a quality control supervisor in oil, coal burning and nuclear energy. He spent time in the 1970s working on the oil fields in Saudi Arabia for Aramco, moved back to Alaska and spent 20 years on the north slope in Prudhoe Bay, AK, then worked in Texas, Oklahoma and most recently in Indiana for Skanska USA Engineering. Lee approached life as one big adventure. He made friends across the country and world and still received letters of gratitude from those he crossed paths with. Lee loved people and considered friends “family.”

Lee was a member of the American Welding Society and the Babcock American Legion. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and working in the yard. He was a master do-it-yourselfer (we laugh, sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t). He enjoyed their annual 4th of July gathering and any time spent with friends and family.

He is survived by his wife Patti; son Eric (LeaAnn) Martinovich; daughter Crista (Fred) Chace; stepchildren Amanda (John) Bowman, Sacha (Troy) Freeman, Joel (Stacie) Clark and Jared (Abbie) Clark;  grandchildren Taylor, Hunter, Annie, Grace, Alex, Morgan, Mason, Canon, Beau, Lincoln, Landyn, Jackson, Sterling, Shae-Ella, Jameson, Wyatt and Raya; three sisters June Poe, Mary (Roger) Kniprath and Diana Martinovich; brothers Marc (Evie) Martinovich and Dale Martinovich; sister-in-law Deljean Martinovich, special niece Trisha Cardon, and friend Brian Willis, who Lee considered a brother.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Alice Novcaski; and his brothers Pete and Bob Martinovich.