Warren Jivery

IRONWOOD, Mich. - Warren Jivery, 81, passed away at his home with family by his side on April 28, 2021, due to complications resulting from lung cancer.

He was born in Ironwood, on Jan. 12, 1940, to Howard and Verna (Lehto) Jivery at Grandview Hospital. Warren attended grade school and high school at St. Ambrose Catholic School in Ironwood, graduating in 1958. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1963-1969. Warren attended Michigan Technological University in Houghton, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in applied physics.

Warren was employed at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois, for 10 years as a scientific assistant to Dr. William Chupka and Dr. Joe Berkowitz. Their research was centered in the areas of particle and nuclear physics.

He met his future wife, Barbara (Pesavento), while they both worked at Argonne. They were married on Aug. 30, 1969, at St. Dennis Catholic Church in Lockport, Illinois. Warren and Barbara originally made their home in Plainfield, Illinois, leaving in 1975 to move back to Ironwood to help care for Warren's father  Warren was then employed at White Pine Copper Company as a transportation engineer and a general foreman for underground construction until its closure.

Warren played hockey in his youth and was a member of local teams including the Rockets and the Jets. After moving back to Ironwood, in 1976 he was one of the original members and first coaches in the Ironwood Polar Bear Hockey Club. He enjoyed teaching kids how to skate and about the game of hockey, coaching both the Termites and the Mites for many years.

Warren loved the outdoors. He spent a lot of time in the woods and on the water with his father, brothers, son, and with his lifelong friend, Percy Smith. Warren and Barbara took great pride in their beautiful backyard gardens. He passed his love of hunting, fishing, camping and gardening onto his children.

Later in life, he took up golf and was a member of the Gogebic Country Club and Eagle Bluff Golf Club. Warren became fascinated with the mechanics and physics pertaining to the golf swing and club making. He made several sets of custom clubs for people in the surrounding area. He also enjoyed woodworking and built an extensive woodworking shop on the back of his garage.

Warren is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara of Ironwood; son, Marc Jivery of Ironwood; daughter, Corinne (Joe Pyrlik) Roy of Ashland, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Jacob and Emily Roy of Ashland; stepgrandchildren, Thomas (Lillith Ida) Roy of Greenwood Lake, New York and Sophia (Rob Recore) Roy of Ashland; stepgreat-grandchildren, Claire and Caden Ruberg; sister, Bonita (James) Skaja, Avon Park, Florida; and five nieces, Kim (Bayne) Meeks, Wendy (Alex) Petrusha, Heidi (Bill) Shink, Tammy and Marcy Jivery, and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Verna Jivery; in-laws, Dominic and Twila (Hatfield) Pesavento; brothers, Brian and Dean Jivery; his twin daughters, Laura and Renee Jivery; and his nephew, Dean Jivery.

Burial will take place this summer, with a luncheon to follow.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home of Ironwood to honor Warren's legacy of life. You can leave a condolence or a tribute at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.