Helmut Wilhelm SCHEUFLER

SCHEUFLER, Helmut Wilhelm Passed away peacefully at age 84 at Camilla Care Community in Mississauga on September 6, 2017, following a prolonged struggle with Alzheimer's Disease. Wonderful father to Evelyn Veit (Hans) and Peter (Alison). Cherished Opa to four grandsons Oliver (Deborah), Sandy, Ben and Sam and one great-grandson Avery. Born in 1932 in Darmstadt, Germany, Helmut met his lifelong love, Erika (nee Dahler) when they were 14 years old. Helmut and Erika immigrated to Canada shortly following their wedding in 1957 to find opportunity and to build a new life together. They made wonderful friends and were determined to plant roots, find work for Helmut in his profession as a Structural Steel Draftsman and start a family. Helmut enjoyed a long and successful career as a Draftsman, where he eventually branched out and developed his own company. He was precise, thorough and utterly committed to delivering his drawings on time. Though this often meant long hours at work, he never lost sight of the importance of his family. Dad will be remembered always by Evelyn and Peter for his strong work ethic, his gentle way and for reminding us to be honest and to live within our means (and for frequently reminding Peter that his hair was too long!). When children arrived, Helmut and Erika made sure that the roads of Ontario were well explored in their succession of Volkswagen Beetles and ultimately they decided that the Muskokas were where they felt most at peace outside of the city. Cottages around Gravenhurst were first rented and ultimately their Pine Lake summer home was purchased and summers were spent building, fixing and very occasionally relaxing (usually only when there was company). Helmut loved to take on 'projects' and found his greatest joy when he convinced Erika, Evelyn, Peter and any willing neighbour to share in the completion of construction projects he had designed. The day's end was celebrated with a beverage, a barbecue and campfires by the lake. When grandchildren arrived, Opa loved to fish, build elaborate sandcastles and take the boys for boat rides out on the lake. They were his pride and joy and the rulebook for children was continually softened each time a new grandchild arrived. For 43 years, Helmut was a member of Harfentone, a German men's choir in Toronto. Helmut loved singing songs with the choir community with whom he shared a common life journey and joy of life. Road trips with the choir always meant laughter and stories that Helmut would love to relive whenever opportunity permitted. Even as his struggle with Alzheimer's worsened, he maintained a strong connection to his choir music and his family could often get him to happily sing when most other things frustrated him. Helmut and Erika's oldest friends from Germany and newer friends from Canada, made their life rich, full of colour and will always be loved and cherished by his family. At their 60th wedding anniversary in February this year, Helmut, Erika and our entire family were able to celebrate with the Geitz and Fay families at the home of Evelyn and Hans, where so many happy family gatherings always take place. To honour this great man, the visitation, chapel service and reception will all be held at the Highland Funeral Home (3280 Sheppard Ave. East in Scarborough) on Sunday, September 10, 2017 (visitation at 2 p.m.; chapel service at 3 p.m.; followed by a reception and celebration of Helmut's life with friends and family). The family would like to thank their broad circle of friends and family for their love and support and would also like to thank Helmut's caregivers at both King Gardens and Camilla Care Community. To honour Helmut's life, the family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either Trillium Health Partners or the Alzheimer Society. highlandfuneralhome.ca/scarborough