Cover photo for H. Desch, Jr.'s Obituary
H. Desch, Jr. Profile Photo
1969 H. 2013

H. Desch, Jr.

December 31, 1969 — February 26, 2013

September 8, 1922 - February 24, 2013 Harold William (Bill) Desch, Jr. passed away peacefully in the early morning of February 24, 2013 at Boswell Memorial Hospital in Sun City, Arizona. Born in Central City, Nebraska to Harold William and Margaret (Strand) Desch, Bill was the third generation proprietor of W. S. Desch Sons Monument Company, founded in 1888 and located in Central City and York, Nebraska. In his youth Bill moved from Central City to York, where he met his wife of 62 years, Jean Bernice Buckley. Jean and Bill's seven children were born in York but the young family moved to Grand Island, Nebraska in 1963 when Bill purchased Grand Island's Paine Monument Company. His efforts expanding the new Desch-Paine Monument Company allowed Bill to provide generously for his large family and in particular for three children living with cystic fibrosis. Following his retirement Bill and Jean relocated to Sun City, and later Peoria, Arizona. Bill's favorite hobbies included playing golf with friends, hunting with brother-in law Winton "Bud" Buckley, and singing as soloist in church choirs both in York and Grand Island. His family treasured the confident and always optimistic singing voice that resonated throughout the family home. Bill and Jean loved their social life and their many friends, especially their bridge foursomes and their nights out dancing. Along with his wife, parents and brother-in-law, Bill was preceded in death by daughter Kathleen Ann (Desch) Estabrook, son Thomas Winton Desch, sister Zoe Rita (Desch) Smith, mother-in-law Bernice (Owen) Buckley, father-in-law W. W. Buckley and sister-in-law Charmaine (Marquesen) Buckley. Bill is survived by daughter Susan Jean Tickell of Bridgewater Connecticut, son H. William Desch III of Peachtree City, Georgia, son John Stephen Desch of Kenosha, Wisconsin, daughter Mary Margaret Desch of Phoenix, Arizona, daughter Julie Kay Desch of Palo Alto, California, son-in-law John Estabrook of Omaha, Nebraska, brother-in-law Phil Smith of Los Alamitos, California and devoted caregiver Julia Araceley Sandoval He was the beloved grandfather of eight: Debbie (Tickell) Andersen, Ted Tickell, Jean (Tickell) Sanders, Jeffrey Tickell, Elizabeth Desch, Josh Desch, Phoenix Jarrell-Desch and Griffen Jarrell-Desch; and great-grandfather of twelve: Jacob and Lauren Anderson, Howie, Justice and Wren Desch, T.J., Ryan and Charles Tickell, and Susan, Naomi and Sonya Tickell, and Adelle Sanders. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday March 1, 2013 at 11 am, at St. Clement of Rome, 15800 Del Webb Blvd., Sun City, Arizona, In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
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