Christopher Tod Sokolich

Christopher Tod Sokolich, age 58, of Milwaukee, died February 4, 2021. He was born in Ashland, the second son of Jo-Ann (née Grittner) Peterson and Matthew Sokolich. He spent his youth in Sanborn with his paternal grandparents, Matt and Mary Sokolich, working on their dairy farm with his older brother (and best buddy), Pete.

At age 17, Chris joined the U.S. Navy, which took him to San Diego and transformed his life from farm boy to submarine repairman. He sailed to many places in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Australia, and was stationed for months at Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean. Chris was always proud of his Navy service.

Following his military discharge in 1983, he came home to Ashland, where he married, had three children and worked as a machine operator for many years at Northern Clearing. He believed in hard work and often confided to his closest friends and family how much he admired his Grandma Mary for setting an example for him to live by. An avid amateur baseball player, he shared his love of the game with many people and described himself as “Number One Brewers Fan”. He enjoyed a variety of things, including hunting and fishing and above all, a good meal, frequently consulting his mom for cooking tips.

He is survived by his parents, Jo-Ann Peterson and Matthew “Pete” (Sharon) Sokolich; his children, Matthew, Kristin (Leigh) and Daniel (Ashley) Sokolich; his grandchildren, Nataleigh, Dreyson and Lynkin Livingston; two brothers, Peter (Tammy) Sokolich and Shannon O’Brien; four sisters, Nicolle Clark Grueneis (Ted), Heidi and Jessica Sokolich, and Autumn O’Brien; two aunts, Sandra Sullivan and Carol Fowler; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, LauraBelle Huntzinger and Joseph Grittner; his paternal grandparents, Mary and Matthew Sokolich; his uncle Tom Sullivan, and his aunt Fran and uncle Gerry Zepczyk.

Due to Covid-19, a memorial celebration of Chris’s life will be held sometime in the future.

Burial will take place in the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Condolences may be left online at MountainFuneralHomes.com