Don't give up…Don't ever give up, may have been the inspirational words of the great Jim Valvano, however they also exemplify the spirit and fight of Joseph William Urbanik. Joe passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2014. He was a caring, compassionate, occasionally stubborn man who was always willing to go the extra mile to help out others around him. Joe was born in 1953 and spent most of his time in East Gary, Portage and Valparaiso. Joe worked for over 41 years at US Steel and spent countless hours donating time to coach local sports teams as his children grew up.

Joe is survived by his wife of 39 years, Peggy Urbanik; daughter, Shauna Urbanik; son, Michael (fiancé Susan) Urbanik; mother, Betty Urbanik; brother, Tom (Kathy) Urbanik; brothers in law, Jimmy and Tommy Sansone. Also, extremely special to his heart were Ciera Sansone, Xavier Ortiz and Heidi Sansone.

He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Urbanik; mother in law, Betty Sansone; father in law, Jim Sansone.

A memorial visitation for Joe will take place Saturday, August 2, 2014 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Rees Funeral Home, Hobart Chapel, 600 West Old Ridge Road, Hobart. To celebrate Joe's life and his undying passion for all things sports, the family encourages all attendees to wear an item supporting their favorite team. The family asks that no flowers be sent. Instead, donations can be made to your favorite charity or to Bert's Big Adventure (www.bertsbigadventure.com) which is a nonprofit organization that provides all expense paid trips to Disney World for terminally ill children and their families. For more information, please call (219) 942-2109. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com