Gottfried Max Dutlof

Gottfried Dutlof, 82, of Benton Harbor, passed away on Monday, November 13, 2006, at Lakeland Continuing Care Center in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 A.M., on Thursday, November 16, 2006, at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Chaplin Mary Shawl-Ranke officiating. Cremation has taken place per his request and burial will be at a later date in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Hospice at Home of St. Joseph. Friends may send the family a condolence message or sign the guest book on-line at www.starks-menchinger.com. Gottfried was born on June 29, 1924 to Johannes “Hans” and Olga (Koehler) Dutlof in Zittau, Germany. He attended a trade school in Germany to become a master pastry chef. He married the love of his life Dorothea “Dorle” Dietrich on November 19, 1949. Together they had a good life. They enjoyed traveling in the U.S., Germany and Austria. Gottfried died six days short of celebrating his 57th anniversary with Dorle. In 1955 Gottfried came to the United States. For several years he worked at various factories until 1968 when he obtained a job at Bit of Swiss Pastry Shop in Stevensville. He retired from there in 1986 and worked part-time for a few years. His specialty was forming figurines (animals and fruit) from Marzipan. After he retired people still asked for his special work. He always was open to learning something new. Gottfried was a good father and husband and was very friendly, likable, easy-going and content with life. He loved beaches and participating in sports which included swimming, water-skiing, hang-gliding, sailing, walking, snow-skiing and ice-skating. Gottfried is survived by his wife, Dorothea “Dorle”; one daughter, Gabriele (Tom) Blank of Coloma; two sisters, Christa (Philip) Cortina of Trumbull, Connecticut and Eleanor Kohlert of South Lyon, Michigan; special nephew, Bodo (Ursula) Henkel and family of Stevensville; and numerous nieces and nephews of Connecticut, Michigan, and Germany. Gottfried was preceded in death by his parents.