JoAnn Sklarski is Kirk Gibson’s wife, the mother of a four-child family, and a co-founder of the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s. She married the former Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers star in Michigan in December 1985. Since then, she has shared his family life through baseball fame, parenthood, and his fight with Parkinson’s disease.
In this article, you’ll learn about JoAnn Sklarski’s Michigan roots, her unusual double wedding, her children, and her place in Kirk Gibson’s best-known baseball years. You’ll also see what she does today and which parts of her early life, age, and career remain private.
Who Is JoAnn Sklarski?
JoAnn Sklarski is best known as the longtime wife of Kirk Gibson. Yet her public story is not only about being married to a baseball star. She is also part of a Detroit-area family story that has lasted for more than four decades.
Her official profile with the Kirk Gibson Foundation gives her a clear role today. It lists JoAnn as a co-founder and board member. It also says she became an advocate for people with Parkinson’s after Kirk’s 2015 diagnosis.
JoAnn has never turned her marriage into a full-time celebrity career. She gives few interviews and shares little about her early years. That makes the parts of her life that are well known more important.
Michigan Roots Before Baseball Fame Grew
JoAnn’s story is closely tied to southeast Michigan. A 1985 Associated Press report in the Los Angeles Times said JoAnn and her sister Sandy Sklarski were from Mount Clemens.
That area sits northeast of Detroit. It was already home ground for Kirk Gibson’s rise as a Michigan sports star. He played both football and baseball at Michigan State before joining the Detroit Tigers.
The couple’s Michigan link did not end after Kirk became a national name. Their wedding, family life, and later charity work all kept strong ties to the state.
Very little is known about JoAnn’s parents, school years, or exact birth date. She has not shared a full public account of those parts of her life. There is no need to fill those gaps with guesses.
The Double Wedding in Grosse Pointe
JoAnn Sklarski and Kirk Gibson married on Saturday, December 21, 1985. The date matters because some later profiles list December 22. Reports from the time point to December 21 as the wedding day.
The event had a rare family twist. JoAnn’s sister Sandy married Dave Rozema in the same ceremony. Rozema was Gibson’s close friend and a former Detroit Tigers teammate.
The wedding took place at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The Los Angeles Times reported that about 600 guests were invited. A reception followed at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle.
For local sports fans, the day joined two Tigers-linked families at once. For JoAnn and Kirk, it began a marriage that would stretch across many stages of his life.
Kirk was also facing a big career choice at the time. He was a free agent after the 1985 season. Baseball news followed him closely, but his wedding showed that his life was changing away from the field too.
A Family Took Shape During Kirk Gibson’s Career
Sports Illustrated later described JoAnn as Kirk’s longtime girlfriend. It also reported that Kirk helped raise her daughter Colleen after their marriage. Colleen was eight at the time.
Their son Kirk Robert was born in 1986. The family later grew to include Kevin and Cam. Together, JoAnn and Kirk became parents in a home where major sports events were part of daily life.
Kirk’s career kept the family moving through busy seasons. He played for the Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He later worked as a coach, manager, and broadcaster.
JoAnn stayed mostly outside the spotlight. Still, she was present during some of the most important years of his career. That includes the season that produced one of the most famous home runs in baseball history.
The 1988 World Series Night JoAnn Watched From Home
On October 15, 1988, the Dodgers opened the World Series against the Oakland Athletics. Kirk Gibson had injuries in both legs and did not expect to play.
JoAnn was at Dodger Stadium with their two-year-old son, Kirk Robert. Kirk told her to go home because he believed he would stay out of the game.
She left.
Then the night changed.
Kirk worked his way into position to pinch-hit in the ninth inning. With two outs, he faced Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley and hit a two-run walk-off home run. The Dodgers won 5-4.
Sports Illustrated’s oral history of the game says JoAnn got home in time to watch the ninth inning with their young son. That gives the famous baseball scene a warm family side. Fans saw Kirk circle the bases. JoAnn saw her husband do something neither of them expected when she left the ballpark.
Four Children, With Baseball and Hockey in the Family
JoAnn and Kirk’s family includes Colleen, Kirk Robert, Kevin, and Cam.
Cam followed the baseball path. Michigan State Athletics lists him as the son of Kirk and Joanne Gibson. He played outfield for the Spartans and was later picked by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Kevin chose hockey. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point lists Kirk and JoAnn as his parents. He played defense for the school’s men’s hockey team.
One 2014 MLB story captured the family in a simple way. Kirk and JoAnn were in Australia for an Arizona Diamondbacks series. At the same time, Kevin was playing in the NCAA Division III Frozen Four and Cam was playing baseball for Michigan State.
The parents opened two computers so they could watch both sons.
It is a small detail, but it says a lot. The Gibsons were part of elite sports, yet they were also parents trying to keep up with two children playing on the same day.
Colleen and Kirk Robert have kept a lower public profile. They are part of the family story, but they have not built the same public sports record as Cam and Kevin.
Parkinson’s Changed the Family’s Public Work
In 2015, Kirk Gibson announced that he had Parkinson’s disease.
That diagnosis changed the direction of the family’s public work. The Kirk Gibson Foundation now focuses on helping people with Parkinson’s live better through movement, exercise, care, and support.
The foundation’s official leadership page says JoAnn co-founded the group and has served on its board since the start. It also says she became an advocate for the Parkinson’s community after Kirk’s diagnosis.
This is a major part of JoAnn’s life today. It gives her a public role that stands on its own. She is not only seen beside a former athlete. She is part of a group working on a health issue her own family faces.
The work also came home to Michigan. The Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness opened in Farmington Hills in 2025. The center gives people with Parkinson’s and their care partners a place for wellness and movement programs.
JoAnn’s Role With the Foundation Today
As of 2026, JoAnn remains listed in the foundation’s leadership. Recent nonprofit filings also name JoAnn P. Gibson as treasurer.
Her role is not described as a paid celebrity position. The nonprofit filing lists no officer pay for her. Her work is tied to the family foundation and its mission.
That gives a clear answer to a common search question: what does JoAnn Sklarski do now?
Her best-known public work is with the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s. She is a co-founder, board member, and advocate. She also remains part of the family story around Kirk, their adult children, and their Michigan roots.
What About JoAnn Sklarski’s Age and Career?
JoAnn has kept some basic personal facts out of public view.
Her exact birthday and age are not listed in her official foundation profile or in the main sports stories about the family. A precise age should not be treated as a known fact.
The same is true of claims that she worked as a model or dancer. Her official biography does not list either job. Her clear public work is with the foundation.
JoAnn has also not shared a personal net worth. Kirk had a long MLB career, but that does not tell us JoAnn’s own finances. An exact number attached to her name would only be an estimate.
These limits do not leave her story empty. There is still a strong record of her marriage, family, Michigan ties, and work for people with Parkinson’s.
Why People Still Search for JoAnn Sklarski
Most readers first find JoAnn’s name through Kirk Gibson.
He helped the Tigers win the 1984 World Series. Four years later, his injured-leg home run for the Dodgers became one of the best-known moments in World Series history. He later managed the Arizona Diamondbacks and stayed close to baseball.
JoAnn appears at the points where that public story becomes personal.
She was part of the unusual 1985 double wedding. She was raising a young family during Kirk’s biggest baseball years. She watched his 1988 home run from home with their son. Years later, she stood with him as Parkinson’s changed their lives.
That is why her story still interests readers. It connects baseball history with marriage, parenting, Michigan life, and a health cause that now matters to thousands of families.
JoAnn Sklarski in 2026
JoAnn and Kirk have been married for more than 40 years. Their children are adults. The family is still linked to Michigan, and the foundation now gives JoAnn her clearest public role.
She has not tried to turn private life into a show. There are no strong public sources for many of the personal details that celebrity pages often add. The facts that are known tell a fuller story than those guesses.
JoAnn’s life moved from Mount Clemens to a famous Detroit-area wedding, then through years of baseball and family life. Today, her public work is tied to Parkinson’s support in the same part of Michigan that shaped so much of the family’s past.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is JoAnn Sklarski still married to Kirk Gibson?
Yes. JoAnn and Kirk Gibson remain married. They wed in December 1985 and have now been married for more than four decades.
When did JoAnn Sklarski and Kirk Gibson get married?
They married on Saturday, December 21, 1985, at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. JoAnn’s sister Sandy married Dave Rozema in the same ceremony.
How many children do JoAnn and Kirk Gibson have?
Their family includes four children: Colleen, Kirk Robert, Kevin, and Cam. Cam played baseball at Michigan State and later in the Detroit Tigers system. Kevin played college hockey at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
What does JoAnn Sklarski do today?
She is a co-founder and board member of the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s. She has also been an advocate for the Parkinson’s community since Kirk’s 2015 diagnosis.
What is JoAnn Sklarski’s age?
Her exact age and birthday are not part of her public biography. JoAnn has kept those details private.
Was JoAnn Sklarski a model or dancer?
Her official foundation biography does not list a modeling or dance career. Her documented public work centers on the Kirk Gibson Foundation and Parkinson’s advocacy.
A Michigan Family Story That Grew Beyond Baseball
JoAnn Sklarski is often introduced as Kirk Gibson’s wife, but that label is only the start. Her story includes a Detroit-area double wedding, four children, one unforgettable World Series night, and decades of family life around professional sports.
It now includes Parkinson’s work as well. That part of her story has a clear purpose. The family took a hard diagnosis and helped build programs for other people facing the same disease.
If you enjoy stories about the families behind major baseball names, read our profile of Melissa Esplana, the wife of longtime MLB manager Dusty Baker, for another look at family life beside the game.
