Donald Eugene Kosinski, 84, of Port Austin, a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle passed away Saturday July 19th, 2025 at his home. He was born June 26th, 1941, on the family farm in Hume Township to Eugene and Eleanor (Kula) Kosinski.

At an early age Don learned the true meaning of hard work. He was the eldest son of 9 children and had the responsibility of working on the family farm.  Due to his responsibilities and the importance of hard work he missed school often and only completed up to the 8th grade.  Because of his limited education Don could not read when he stopped attending school but he was a wiz at math.  There wasn't a math problem he couldn't figure out quickly in his head or scratched out in the dust on the tailgate of his pickup truck.  His family often wondered about the things he could have achieved if he was allowed a proper education because he was a very intelligent man who only lacked an education.

He met the love of his life Diana Fisher in 1965 and they were united in marriage on November 12th, 1966 at St. Michaels Catholic Church in Port Austin, Michigan by Father Joseph Dudek. Together they raised a beautiful family of six children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. They would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary this year.

Don worked numerous jobs throughout his life, from setting pins at Biff's Bowling Bar at the age of 14 in Kinde, working on a commercial fishing boat in Grindstone, working winters at Tower in Elkton, bending glass at Winder's in Port Austin, and working the deck for 20 years at Huron Castings in Pigeon. Although he worked multiple jobs his true passion in life remained farming. Don was a farmer at his core.  Early in his farming career he raised beef cattle and was a crop farmer.  Later he stopped raising cattle to focus on crop farming; there he found his true gift.  He once won the National Corn Growers Association for top producer in the State of Michigan. He sold seed for Cargill Seed and won trips to Florida, Hawaii and Mexico for being a top seller.  He baled more hay than anyone had the right to do in one lifetime.  His hay was renowned for the quality and the weight of his hay bales.  Many boys learned how to be men by baling hay for Don but most could not keep up with him. He sold his hay not only in the state of Michigan but Ohio, Indiana and even as far as Kentucky.

Don had many nicknames throughout his life; Donnie to his siblings, the Old Man to his co-workers, the Old Polack to close friends, but his favorite names were Dad and Grandpa. He loved his family more than his words could express. He normally responded to I love you with a yeah, or a grunt. If you were one of the few he said I love you to; count yourself very lucky. He often had a "coughing fit" when he got emotional to try to hide his tears because he didn't want what those close to him already knew; he was a big softie at heart. Instead of expressing his love with words he showed his family how much he loved them with his actions. Don worked very hard to provide for his family and give them everything he could. If his family needed help with anything they could always count on him to help however he could, even when financially helping would put a strain on him.  It didn't matter, when his kids needed him, he was there.

Don was a generous man, who at the saying goes, would give you the shirt off his back. Some of his generous acts included one of his hobbies which started when he was very young; collecting returnable bottles and cans. In 2003 he donated over 17,000 cans, a total dollar amount of $1,730.80, to the Port Austin Little League and Babe Ruth Program. It helped with field improvement and to purchase an electronic scoreboard.  Don also used his returnables to purchase supplies for care packages to be made and sent to our military forces overseas.

Don had many other hobbies which he enjoyed. He was an avid angler, hunter, and trapper. He fished year round including ice fishing and was always ready to go on a fishing trip whenever anyone asked. Even if no one asked he went fishing by himself but his favorite times fishing was with his family. He enjoyed hunting and even went on hunting trips to Canada with one of his sons. Although reading was a struggle and very limited, his wife helped teach him to read after they married, he enjoyed reading the daily newspaper and hunting and fishing magazines. After unofficially retiring from farming he loved to drive trucks for his sister and brother-in-law during harvest season, stopping by farming friends and offering to help bale hay, and going on car rides to look at the crops.  Later in life when he finally slowed down he rarely missed his earlier morning farming show while enjoying his coffee. He also enjoyed watching Gold Rush, Deadliest Catch, Swamp People, and Naked and Afraid (don't judge).

To his wife and children Don was the greatest and strongest man they ever knew. He could load a refrigerator or washing machine into the bed of his pickup truck by himself like it weighed nothing.  Which he often did while picking up scrap metal on the sides of the road. He will be dearly missed by those who loved him.

Don is survived by his loving wife Diana, his children Shelly Kosinski, Donald (Lisa) Kosinski, Becky Kosinski, Rudy (Amy) Kosinski, Troy Kosinski, and Taffaney (Harvey) Ross.  His grandchildren Sean Jones, Jessica (Matt) Huntington, Robert Hinson, Brandon (Emily), Terry (fiance' Aurora), and Selena Jimpkoski; Jordan (Dani), Seth, and Nathan (Ashley) Kosinski; Justin, Chantel, and Joshua (Candyce) Kosinski; Kayle (Corey) Krinkie, Matthew Kosinski, Emily (Taylor) Kramer; Bryant (Jessica), Alex (Amanda), Acelenn, Denton, and Aliyah Ross; his twenty four (soon to be 25) great grandchildren. His siblings Alice Craig, Cynthia Forbing, Vivian Thuemmel, Colleen Mouton, Eugene (Tammy) Kosinski, Edward (Mary Jo) Kosinski, and Fred (special friend Martha) Kosinski and many nieces and nephews. He will be missed by his dog Django.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his father-in-law Albert "Jim" Fisher, mother-in-law Betty Smith, his sister Anastasia Parks, sister-in-law Victoria Raile, brothers-in-law Gene Craig, Dan Theummel, and John Forbing.

Funeral service will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025 at MacAlpine Gage Chapel in Kinde at 11:00 AM with Fr. Yesu Mulakaleti officiating. Visitation will be on Thursday July 24, 2025 at MacAlpine Gage Chapel from 4:00-8:00 PM, and also on Friday from 10:00 until the time of service.

Memorials may be offered to Diana Kosinski.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.macalpinefuneralhome.com