Obituary of Kurt Helmut Heuck

Kurt Helmut Heuck, Husband, Papa, Opa, Bruder, Onkel and freund passed away Thursday March 15th at the age of 98.  Ein mensch, “the captain”; he was a painter, drawer, keyboard player, sailor, chess player, plasterer, gold-tooth grinning, cow-milking, dog whisperer, kid-teasing, story teller, knot tier, loose string organizer, world class sneezer, hiccupper, side-stroke swimmer and Mormon debater, official tour guide and come up to our suite, house, cottage, motorhome, trailer for a coffee and a chat inviter.  In death, as in life, he passed in his own way and on his own terms. 

Looking back, nothing made Opa happier than spending time with family and friends, either having a tasse kaffee, fruhstuck, lunch or, best of all, abendbrot.  Kaffee was never had “dry” and was always offered with a cookie, kuchen or some other treat.  Papa worked for what he had, he had the wrists and the hands to prove it.  Maybe it was milking 20 cows every day, seven days a week for three years as a german prisoner of war in England, that gave him a handshake that few could forget.  My brother and I often heard “That’s quite a handshake you got” when introducing Papa to our friends.  “Fistful of bananas” was how I liked to describe his hands.  I remember him showing me, with more than a little pride, how the largest men’s ring size guide “hole” in the Sears catalogue barely fit his pinky.

 

It was after the war, and returning home in 1948, that he met the love of his life; his wife of 68 years Sina (nee Koselowski).  Mom was a dimpled, smiling 22 year old and my father a youthful 30 when they married in 1949.  Three years later in 1952, with little to their name but hope, determination and confidence in a better future, they landed in Canada.  I remember asking my parents why Regina? It was, apparently, an abnormally warm and sunny day in early April, and my parents, never ones to second guess or dither, thought “this will do, let’s get started!”.

Get started they did.  After working as a labourer, brick layer and plasterer, and having toyed with running his own plastering business for a spell, Kurt started as a Foreman with the City of Regina in 1954.  “the City will never go broke” he’d say, as well as “get in with a company that has a good pension”.  Mom was there right beside Dad, making sure everything was well taken care of so Dad could focus on making a living and providing for his family.  A basement suite was soon exchanged for their first house on 2270 Francis street.  This house was lifted and moved over, so dad could build a new basement, with indoor plumbing, and split and sell the empty half of the lot.  There was no shortage of effort and ambition in the desire to make a better life for his family.  Along the way they had a son, Georg, in 1959, and a second son, Erwin in 1963.  Eventually Francis street become 6 McNab crescent in Hillsdale, which was sold for a six suite apartment at 3208 Wesgate in South Lakeview, which eventually was sold, and in 1969 dad purchased an 18 suite apartment on 33 Shaw street in Coronation Park.  A cottage at Sandy beach Katepwa, in 1972 rounded out the real estate holdings.  Papa worked for another 10 years with the city, with summer holidays spent at Mara Lake or at Sandy Beach.  Eventually Dad retired at the age of 60, after working 25 years in total for the City of Regina.  He often said, “60 sounded old to me”.

For the next 30 years, mom and dad were able to travel south and enjoy the winters at Lake Mead, Guaymas Mexico, Mesa and other parts in the US.  Dad liked his “rigs” and went through a few different iterations; a truck and trailer was traded for an extended van, which became the shuttle bus, which was upgraded to a motor home, then a van and trailer, then another truck and trailer, a class C motorhome, a different class C motorhome and so on.  After owing the same 1964 Ford Galaxy 500 “country squire” station wagon for 15 years, it seems wheeling and dealing on the next retirement travel “rig” became an annual event for Papa.  Everywhere they went, Opa brought along his trusty keyboard so that he could play at dances and events or for just his pure enjoyment.

Once travelling and driving became difficult, Oma and Opa would fly to Honolulu Hawaii for a few weeks each winter, eventually having visited there over a dozen times.   Ocean Resort was their home away from home.  Opa and Oma had their “bench” overlooking Waikiki beach and Opa often watched or partook in the chess games being played.

The grandchildren, Erik in 1994, Dieter in 1998 and finally Willem in 2005, became a very big part of Oma and Opas’ life.   The various motorhomes and trailers were the best playhouse a kid could ask for, and Opa loved having a picnic or “beach party” with each iteration of “misable squirt” that came along.   

In 2002, Oma and Opa moved into the apartment at 3323 Garnet, just a block away from their old place at 3208 Westgate.  Opa loved looking after the lawn and flowers and sitting on the patio or the front driveway overlooking his domain. Life at the apartment was good and Opa and Oma spent much of their time having friends over, where Opa was sure to play a song or two on the keyboard.

In his final year, Opa’s body and mind began to fail him and he slowed down considerably from how we were used to seeing him.  His memories often turned to times long past, his childhood in Wesselburen Germany, the places from his youth; Heide, and Busum.  Even as he lost perspective on the present and at times, his circumstances, he never wavered in his love for Sina.  At one point in his last year, Opa turned to Oma and announced, in all seriousness, maybe we should get married!  A clear sign that if he could, he’d do it all over again.

We’ll miss you Opa, you showed us how to be honest and true to yourself and take pleasure in lifes’ simple things.