Darrell Paske

PORTAGE - Darrell Paske of Portage passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011.

There are no plans for a funeral service per Darrell's wishes. Inurnment with military rites will be family only and held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in the town of Caledonia, with Pastor Blake Overlien officiating. A celebration of Darrell's life will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 10 at Dino's, New Pinery Road, Portage. Darrell's family, relatives and friends are invited to join his children in celebrating their father's life and the memories he made with all who knew him.

Darrell was born in Columbia County on Aug. 6, 1938, as the youngest of 10 children to Reinhold and Ada Jahn Paske. He grew up in the town of Caledonia and had fond memories of his childhood there. He graduated from Portage High School in 1956, and later enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving two years before returning to Portage in 1959. In 1960, he married Joni Hamele and together they had three children, Dan, Steve and Jo Ellen, before divorcing in 1970. In 1966, after working for Deep Rock delivering fuel oil, Darrell began working at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant, south of Baraboo, as a hose man in the fire department. Over the course of his employment Darrell would travel to Washington, D.C., Alabama and Illinois for advanced training in protective services. He was certified as an emergency medical technician and ultimately retired as a lieutenant in 1999. Darrell took great pride in his work and developed many meaningful friendships through his employment at BAAP. Darrell enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing euchre and watching the Packers, and he taught his children how to enjoy these activities as well. One of his greatest pleasures was the family's annual vacation at White Lake located east of Montello. Over 30-plus years many wonderful relationships were made with people he met there and he liked to recount his high school days when the chalet at Scharenberg's resort was a dance hall that he and his buddies would drive up to on Friday nights doing what boys of that age in any generation do. In his retirement Darrell's favorite days were those spent with his children and extended family members. He had a great fondness for dogs and Peaches and Mel were, possibly, Darrell's most favorite companions. Darrell was a German through to the bone, and was bound and determined to see and do things his way; those closest to him learned to appreciate and accept his stubbornness.

Darrell is survived by one brother, Russell of Mount Horeb; his children, Dan, Steve and Jo Ellen, and his grandchildren, Jacob, Zachary, Justin, Madeline and Liberty, and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Rodney, Harold, Gordon, Donald "Pete" and his sisters, Eleanor Greenwold, Dorothy Underkofler and Myrna Townsend.

The family requests that any memorials be made to ABC Connections, 309 W. Cook St., Portage, WI 53901. ABC Connections is a 501(c)3 organization that provides counseling services to caregivers of the elderly.