Philip J. Yakish

Philip (Phil) John Yakish, 82, of Burlington, WI, passed away on February 18th, 2025, at Aurora Medical Center in Burlington, WI. He was a kind, caring, helpful, and curious man who will be missed immensely by all who knew him.

Phil was born in New Berlin, WI, on March 22nd, 1942. He was raised by his parents Martha and George along with his older sisters Janis and Ione and younger brothers Steve, Tom, Wayne, and Frank. Phil and his family spent his early childhood in the Milwaukee area. They moved to Winona, MN, where Phil attended Catholic grammar school and then Cotter High School. Phil met his wife Tess as well as many lifelong friends at Cotter and faithfully attended school reunions as his classmates meant a great deal to him.

After high school, Phil joined the Air Force. His military career took him to England and Germany where he worked in a mobile intelligence unit interpreting aerial photography. He and his son Jon took the honor flight to Washington, DC, in October 2023 where he was able to see the newly finished Air Force Memorial.

After completing his service in the military, he returned to the states and attended university at UW Milwaukee.  He reconnected with Tess and they were married on January 15th, 1966, in Franklin, WI.

After he and Tess married, Phil was splitting his time between working at the Midland Cooperative in Hales Corners and Reiman Publishing in Greendale. True to form, he was offered management opportunities at both. He chose Midland and was made the manager of the hardware store. Soon thereafter Phil was offered his own co-op to manage and he and the family moved to Spencer, WI.

Two years later, Phil was made a Director of Regional Services and moved the family to the Twin Cities. After a series of promotions to bigger territories, he settled in Oconomowoc, WI where his older children graduated high school.

After Midland merged with Land ‘o Lakes, Phil stepped back into co-op management; ending his career as the President and CEO of Burlington Consumers Cooperative.

Retiring at age 59, Phil spent the next 20+ years attending Kiwanis meetings, riding his motorcycle with his veterans club, playing cards at the legion post, traveling with Tess, wintering in Florida, and spending quality time with friends and family.

He was the devoted father of Michelle (H. James) Grittner, Jon Yakish, and Susanne (Kevin) Dobke and the proud grandfather of Seth and Joel Dobke. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Paula Braatz and other relatives and friends. Phil is preceded in death by his parents Martha and George Yakish, his wife Tess, his brother-in-laws Paul Styve and Don Braatz.

Please join us to share your love, laughter, and memories of Phil on March 22nd, 2025, from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at Integrity Celebration Center, (2789 Browns Lake Dr., Burlington, Wisconsin 53105). Phil will be laid to rest in Winona, MN at a later date.