Gustave A. Damaske

Gustave A. Damaske, Jr, 89, peacefully went to be with his Lord on Friday, April 18, 2014 at Caretel Inns in St. Joseph, with members of his family present. He was a gentle man and a gentleman.   Gus was born on Nov. 17, 1924 in St. Joseph, MI to Gustav Albert Damaske, Sr. and Anne Marie Margaret Tilly, the last of six children.   His very early employment was in the family-owned grocery stores in St. Joseph. Gus graduated from St. Joseph High School and attended Valparaiso University. His college education was fatally interrupted by his draft into the U.S. Army in May 1943. After lengthy training at Fitzsimons General Hospital in Colorado as an Advanced Medical Technician, he was assigned to the Transportation Corps in San Francisco. There he was put on a ship and spent the rest of the war hauling troops over the Pacific going and injured troops coming home, sailing the Pacific as a sea-going soldier from Australia to Japan, holding the rank of Technician 4th Grade before being honorably discharged December 7, 1945.   In early 1947, Gus was hired as a police officer by the city of St. Joseph, a job he held for 35 years until his retirement in 1982. On September 19, 1948, Gus married the one true love of his life, Shirley Baum, in Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Joseph. During his time of service on the Police Dept., Gus was enthusiastically active in the Fraternal Order of Police, St. Joseph Lodge NO. 96 and the State Lodge of MI. He viewed this organization as the group that could really help to improve the profession and he contributed much time and effort towards that goal, holding virtually all positions in the local and state lodges. He spent many hours in Lansing, lobbying and seeking legislation which would require adequate training for police officers.   Gus enjoyed fishing, gardening, baking, listening to good music and making stained glass. Gus was a life-long member of Trinity Lutheran Church of St. Joseph since his baptism in 1924, where he took great pride in serving on the committee to install its Casavant pipe organ.   Gus is survived by his loving son, Gus Damaske III, his loving granddaughter, Elizabeth and his loving daughter-in-law Deborah. Preceding him in death were his mother and father, his wife Shirley, brothers Arnold (Marie) Damaske, Edwin (Mabel) Damaske and Albin Damaske, and sisters Dorothy Damaske and Ruth (Clifford) Machacek, all of St. Joseph.   A Celebration of Life service will be held on Weds. April 23, 10:00am at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph with Pastors Thomas Batsky and Michael Roth officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph. Visitation will be from 5:30-8:00pm on Tues. April 22 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book on line may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com  Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or to Hospice At Home.