Heinz Damaske

Heinz Damaske, 73, of Stevensville passed away Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at Lakeland Continuing Care in Berrien Center. A Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:00 A.M. Monday, January 24, 2011 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 2673 W. John Beers, Stevensville with Pastor Gerald Schroer officiating. Burial will follow at Hickory Bluff Cemetery. Friends may visit from 2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. Sunday, January 23, 2011 at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church or American Cancer Association. Those wishing to sign the memory book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Heinz was born February 6, 1937 in Benton Harbor, MI to Karl & Elsie (Dunse) Damaske. He graduated from St. Joseph High school in 1955 and then attended Acme school of Tool and Design. On October 24, 1959 he married Darlene Roth at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Stevensville. Heinz worked for Whirlpool Corporation for 39 ½ years as a product designer and retired in 1997. Through the years, he served on various committees' at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Heinz was involved with the early beginning of the Lakeshore Youth Baseball Association and most recent and gratifying experience of being Director of the local Man-to-Man Prostate Cancer Support Group. He loved spending time with his wife whether it was antiquing for Upton Machine Co. items, working in his garden, listening to the Detroit Tigers baseball or watching and traveling to see his son's softball team participate in various tournaments both locally and nationally. He thought the world of his two children and especially his two grand-daughters and had only wished they had lived closer. Heinz is survived by his wife Darlene Damaske of Stevensville; son Bret Damaske of Stevensville; daughter Doreen Zahn of Wisconsin; two grandchildren Nicolle & Danielle Zahn of Wisconsin; brother-in-law Ernest (Magdalena) Hundt. Heinz was preceded in death by his parents and sister Ella Hundt.