Harry R. Trescher

Harry Robert Trescher, age  95, of Niles, Michigan; father, grandfather, great-grandfather; insurance agent, photographer, and Honorable Veteran of both the United States Army and Navy passed away at 1:56 a.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2024 at  Memorial Hospital in South Bend, IN.  His family is grateful for the efforts of the first responders and the medical staff following an accident in his home.

He was born on November 22, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois to Harry and Lenora (Bauer) Trescher, and graduated from Lakeview High School in Chicago.  He enlisted in the United States Army and served as a medical technician at Fort Eustis, Virginia before being honorably discharged.  He returned to Chicago and began a career in commercial art at Heil Studios when the armed forces called him back to active duty, this time in the United States Navy.  He served as a photographer and a darkroom technician and was again honorably discharged.

He moved his family to Niles, Michigan in 1953, taking employment with the Niles Daily Star as a photographer.  In 1957, he began his career as an Allstate Insurance Agent located in the former Sears store on Sycamore St. in Niles and later established his own office at 1111 East Main Street. He  retired in 1988 following thirty-one years of service. 

Harry was a longtime member of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Niles where he also served on several committees,  and he was often the greeter on Sunday mornings.  He was very active in the Korean War Veterans Association, and had recently joined the Buchanan American Legion Post #51. In 2018 he  participated in the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. escorted by Ken Turner of Wayland, MI.

He enjoyed photography his entire life, submitting images to the Star, and had completed a remarkable documentation of the Niles Main Street Bridge replacement project in 2015.  He was active on area golf leagues. In 1997 his team won the “B” Bottle Golf Tournament, and Harry made the winning 30 foot putt.  Harry was a lifelong Cub and Bears fan.  He enjoyed fishing, taking his boat to area inland lakes, but he was much more involved in sailboat racing. He won many awards.  Harry loved talking about being a member of the crew that participated in the  Chicago to Mackinac race “The Mac”.

All of these activities involved other people, and Harry loved to visit with folks, greeting all of his friends in area stores.   He preferred to travel via the railroads for the ease of walking through the cars and meeting new friends.  His greatest joy was his family.

On July 8, 1950 in Chicago, he married the former Evelyn Lorraine Sopcak. They celebrated 53 loving years of marriage. Harry became Evelyn’s devoted caregiver during her 15 years of declining health. He provided all the care she needed until her death on September 5, 2003.  

He was also preceded in death by his father, Harry, who died at the age of 38; and by his step-father, Alvin Bevier and mother Lenora Bevier; and by Harry’s siblings and their spouses, Marilyn (& Ed) Jarger, Ron Bevier, and Alvin (& Mary) Bevier.

Surviving family incudes his children, Gail (& Terry) Lovelady of Buchanan, Karen (& Ron) Rubin of Denver, Colorado, Michael (& Elizabeth) Trescher of Saint Joseph, Michigan, and Michael’s twin sister, Michele (& Rich) Marcinek of Paw Paw, Michigan; grandchildren Ryan (& Beth) Lovelady, Joshua (& Rachel) Rubin, Talia Rubin, Justin Lovelady, and Lauren Marcinek; great-grandchildren Ilan Rubin, Akiva Rubin, Nechama Rubin, and Naava Rubin; and Harry’s sister-in-law, Ann Bevier of Des Plaines, Illinois, and several nieces and nephews.

The visitation for Harry Trescher will be on Friday, January 12 at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church at 1340 Sycamore Street in Niles.  The funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m.   with the Rev. Joseph Liss officiating.  Entombment will follow in the Mausoleum Chapel of Mission Hills, and it will include the Full Military Honors offered by the United States Navy Honor Guard, assisted by American Legion Post #51 of Buchanan.

Contributions in memory of Harry Trescher may be made to the Niles Riverfront Veteran’s Memorial, c/o City Hall, 333 North Second Street, Niles, Michigan  49120; https://www.nilesmi.org/document_center/department/DPW/Buy%20A%20Brick%20Form%20Fillable%20Form.pdf.  Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles.  Online memories may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Harry’s ninety-five years clearly exceeded the Biblical promise of 70 or 80, but he used all of those years well, serving his country, being a productive member of his community, enjoying outdoor activities and sports, photographing and gifting his family and friends with his art.  But more importantly to him was his interest in and care for the people in his life, fulfilling the command to love God and love people.