Eberhard Hardy Gatzke's Obituary
Eberhard ”Hardy” Gatzke, age 90 of Corinth, Texas passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on December 28, 2020 in Corinth, Texas. The son of the late Georg and Lucie Buttler Gatzke, Hardy was born on February 2, 1930 in East Prussia, Germany. Just three days before his 15th birthday on January 30, 1945, Hardy was separated from his mother while trying to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German marine vessel evacuating German civilians ahead of the advancing Russian forces into East Prussia, Germany. In an attempt to assist a young mother in distress with her two children, Hardy ultimately removed himself from the ship. Several hours later, the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk in the Baltic Sea. Hardy eventually immigrated to the United States arriving by boat to Ellis Island in the 1950’s on a sponsorship from a church family in Sweetwater, Texas. On May 20, 1965, he married Sigrid Jakob in Ft. Worth, Texas. To this beautiful union, their son Gregory Gatzke was born. Hardy gained his U.S. Citizenship in 1976. For 25 years, he was the General Manager of the Insurance Club of Dallas, employed by the Dallas Times Herald in the early 1960’s as well as a devoted member to the Lutheran Church. Together, he and Sigrid resided in Corinth for over 20 years. Hardy was a self -taught calligraphist who graciously gifted several calligraphies to celebrities however, his most memorable calligraphy gift was a six foot rendition of the Lord’s Prayer to Pope Paul VI through the assistance of the Vatican Ambassador in Washington, D.C. as well as former U.S. Senator John Tower. This calligraphy rendition is now on display in the Vatican Museum in Vatican City, Rome. He also made calligraphic art donations to the USTSA Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio, Texas. Hardy was a member of various affiliations including the CMAA as a Certified Club Manager as well as an honorary member of the City of Dallas, an honor that was bestowed upon him by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. A very successful man of many talents, Hardy possessed some patents on his inventions throughout the years one of which includes the rechargeable battery that we are all very benefitting from today.
Survivors include his wife of almost 56 years, Sigrid Gatzke of Corinth, Texas; Son, Gregory Gatzke and his wife Lorena of Corinth, Texas and one grandson, Gregory Thomas Gatzke who is currently serving our country in the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss.
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