DON R. TUSCH

TUSCH, DON R. 1930 to 2009 Longtime San Diego resident and business executive Don R. Tusch died suddenly on November 21, 2009, at age 79, following a dinner with his wife and dear friends. Don Tusch was born on October 21, 1930, in Minneapolis. His family moved west when he was eight, eventually settling for good in San Diego when he was eleven. He graduated from San Diego High School and attended San Diego State University. Don was a member of the National Guard/Army Reserves for 12 years as a young man. After holding a variety of jobs including postal carrier, gas station attendant, and painter at a local boat manufacturer, he discovered his career passion when he built his first home. This led to his developing a construction business that initially focused on custom homes, later expanding to apartments and office buildings. In 1974, he established a property management firm, Tusch-Derbonne Company, that specialized in investor acquisition of apartment complexes in the San Diego and Phoenix areas, and overseeing their management. Don was also a passionate supporter of his community, the Ocean Beach-Point Loma area, and a 50-year member of the Lion's Club, holding a variety of leadership positions. He was an original member of the Kona Kai Club and the San Diego Tennis and Raquet Club, and he recently helped establish the Oasis Church in Ocean Beach. Don was a devoted family man, raising two daughters with his first wife, Grace. He and his second wife, Doris, have been married for 35 years. Don is survived by his wife, Doris; his daughter, Donna Rose, of Portage, Wisconsin, and her partner Mark Wall; his daughter, Susan Rackley, and her husband, Ivy, and their sons Evan and Trevor Brown and Chris and Matt Rackley, and their granddaughter Haylee Rackley. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Gladys Tusch, and by his sister Mary Jane Hurder and her son, Greg. A memorial service to celebrate Don's' life will be held on Sunday, December 6th, at 12:00 noon at the Kona Kai Club at 1551 Shelter Island Drive. Anyone wishing to remember Don with a donation, is encouraged to contact the Oasis Church at 2051 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, San Diego, 92107, or the Peninsula Lion's Club at 1537 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, 92106.