Helmut Horst Duschek

Helmut Horst Duschek, age 83 of Mesa, Arizona, passed away December 5, 2024.  Helmut was born to Hermann and Klara Duschek in Pentsch, Kr. Strehlen, Germany.

Helmut completed 8 grades of school and then became a Journeyman in the work of painting and wallpapering.  In 1960, at the age of 19, he brought what he learned to the United States and his life flourished from there.  When he relocated to the States, he lived with his oldest sister, Gisela and her husband, Heinz in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Not only was Helmut very artistic while young, he was also very athletic; he ran track and field growing up and he played club sport soccer in Milwaukee.

Helmut joined the US Army on November 8, 1963, training with the first infantry in Kansas, achieving the rank of Specialist E-4.  He was honorably discharged on December 23, 1965, due to his health, being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes.   Helmut became a United States Citizen on June 9, 1967.

Helmut met Patricia Kvamme in 1965 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who later became his dear life partner on December 29, 1967.  Together, they shared 55 years of marriage, prior to Pat’s passing on December 16, 2023.  Helmut and Pat made a home in Brookfield, Wisconsin and welcomed their firstborn Mark in December 1969.  Daughter Jennifer came along in November 1975.  They relocated to Mesa, Arizona in 1979.

With his artistic talent, Helmut turned his Journeyman learning into a business, Custom Wallpapering Inc.  He took pride in his work with perfectionist qualities, straight cut-in lines and quick, smooth actions.  Helmut carried his talent into canvas landscaping art design as well.  He did not need fancy tools to create his art.  He constructed his easel with a 6-foot ladder and a makeshift resting ledge for the canvas to sit on.  When Helmut saw an image from a magazine or picture that he felt drawn to, Helmut would recreate it on the canvas.  Helmut was crafty in almost anything.  If he could do it, he would tackle any project first or come up with a fixable solution.  He was sharp with directions and enjoyed the use of old-school paper maps.  If a conversation involved a location, he would pull out the city map, state map, or country map and search for the location before continuing the conversation.  He was very routine orientated, from his cornflakes and laberkase for breakfast to a sandwich at lunch, rarely did this deviate.  His hobbies included golf, fishing, daily walks, reading, painting, traveling, nature and as many black and white western shows as possible (Bonanza, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Tales of Wells Fargo, etc…). He constantly was busy working on a project or tackling something around the house or for the church.

Helmut was a simple man.  He was raised during a time of war with minimal belongings to be had.  Due to the war, he did not meet his father until age 6. His mother and siblings left Pentsch for the first time January/February of 1945 to a town on the Czechoslovakia border, but memories mentioned by his sister Gisela (and note taking by Pat), recalled them being bombed in the town and walking back over the border to Pentsch. After the war, they left Pentsch in 1946 relocating to Oberhausen, Germany where they lived above a bakery.

He might not have been a man of many words, but he was a man of strong devotion, integrity and dependability.  He had much love for his family and a tender heart that cared for his wife and family deeply.  His faith in the Lord evolved through the years.  He knew faith was the foundation for which to live and grew to understand this.  He demonstrated his love for the Lord, through the attention and care he provided to Pat through their marriage and into her later years.  He had unwavering love for his beloved, Pat.

Helmut is survived by son Mark Duschek, daughter Jennifer (Ryan) Ross, grandson Garrett Cauthen, sister Gisela Krueger, brother Kurt (Heidi) Duschek and others within the family. Helmut was preceded in death by his wife Patricia Duschek, his parents Hermann and Klara Duschek, sister Helga Voss, and brothers-in-law Guschen Voss and Heinz Krueger.

A viewing will be held at Bunker Family Memorial 3529 E. University Drive in Mesa, AZ on Saturday, January 4, 2025, from 1pm-2:30pm, followed by a graveside ceremony at 3pm at the City of Mesa Cemetery. The family suggest that memorials may be made to Victory Lutheran Church.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.