Charlie Koskinen, 61, passed unexpectedly at his home on February 9th, 2026, two days before his 62nd birthday. He was the son of Darlene and the late Toivo Koskinen, spouse of JoAnne (VanDenBussche) Koskinen, and the father of seven children.

Charlie was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 11th, 1964, the sixth of nine children. He was very athletic and enjoyed anything from ice fishing to hockey to baseball.

His family moved to St. Marys, Kansas in the late 1970s where he attended high school and had the honor of acting as head sacristan for several years, serving for Archbishop Lefebvre on more than one occasion. At school, he met the 14 year old JoAnne VanDenBussche, a dairy farm girl from Canada, and was smitten at first sight. They were high school sweethearts and were known as the darling couple of the Academy.

After a year at K-State, he enlisted in the US Airforce where he specialized in the communications field. During his four year enlistment, he married his beloved JoAnne on August 17th, 1985 in St. Marthe Chapel, Saskatchewan, Canada, near her parents' dairy farm.

They moved to Kansas City where he began working in telecommunications. They moved to the St. Marys area in 1994, where Charlie began his 25+ year career with T-Mobile as a senior field technician, proudly clocking a million miles of work travel a few months before his passing.

He loved his children deeply, setting an exceptional example of a husband and father. His great love of music, whether from violins or drums, was passed down to his children and grandchildren. He learned cello so that he could play alongside his daughters. He played drums with his son, nephew, and friends in the band Audible Empire, sharing this love of music with others far and wide at shows and benefits. He gave his boys a love of sports and hunting, and greatly enjoyed showing his impressive collection of hunting trophies, which lined several of his basement walls. He had a wide range of other hobbies and interests, just a few of which were horseback riding, pickleball, softball, and poker.

He was a member of the American Legion Post 31 in Rossville, Post 172 Legion Riders in Wamego, and Post 172 Honor Guard. One of his most beloved pastimes were his transcontinental Harley trips with JoAnne, where they visited many national landmarks such as the Redwood Forest, the Garden of the Gods, Niagara Falls, and the Pacific Coast Highway. His favorite frequent visits were to the Rockies of Colorado.

All those who knew him, even just a little, experienced his big heart. Some of his greatest joy came from hosting family and friends at his home, making sure everyone had a great time surrounded by music and laughter. All of his children-in-law remember the very first sign that he approved of them as a potential spouse for his children: the first time he teased them. Charlie had a great sense of humor, getting great joy out of teasing and pranking anyone at any opportunity.His seven children have given him 13 grandchildren so far, who filled his holidays, Sundays, and summer afternoons with laughter and happiness. He loved to toss the little ones high in the air as they squealed with delight and asked their papa over and over to do it "just one more time."

Above all, Charlie loved his Catholic Faith, and had a deep love of the Mass, attending daily for the last several decades of his life.

Charlie is predeceased by his father Toivo, his sister Elizabeth, and his brother Jim.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, JoAnne; his children Charles (Isabella) Koskinen, Anthony (Jessie) Koskinen, Rebecca (Greg) Varnado, Maria (Jacob) Anderson, Mary Hanna (Johannes) Roling, Victoria Koskinen, and Martina (Patrick) White; 13 grandchildren; his mother Darlene; and siblings Bill, John, Rick (Michelle), Caroline (Kevin) Grey, Dave (MariaJose), and Catherine (John) Isermann.

All are welcome to a visitation from 1-4 pm on Thursday, February 19, at the Koskinen home, 204 W. Lasley St. in St. Marys. A rosary will be recited at the Immaculata, 701 N. 2nd Street, St. Marys, KS at 5:20 pm. A sung Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Friday, February 20 at the Immaculata. The Mass will be livestreamed and can be viewed by clicking the following link at the time of the service: Click to view the service

Interment with military honors will follow at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery. There will be a luncheon at St. Joseph's Hall afterward; all are also welcome.

Memorial contributions in memory of Charlie may be made to The Immaculata, 701 N. 2nd St., St. Marys, KS 66536 by clicking the link HERE.