Eberhard Kurt Schubert

To honor my dad's memory I would like to share his story with you.

Kurt Schubert was born inn Wurgwitz, Germany in 1928. He was an only child to a wood-crafter, went to school and completed less than a high school education. His father wanted him to take over the family cabinet business but my dad was ambitious and had different plans. He wanted to see the world. Just to keep peace in his family he took an apprenticeship in a machine shop and learned a trade. He became a tool and die maker.

WW II broke out and he survived the bombing of Dresden in unimaginably poor conditions. Afterwards he fled over the border illegally from what was East Germany at the time to the west side. He did this twice. The first time he returned because he was so home sick. And the second time he stayed at an immigration camp in Hamburg until his papers were finalized to come to America.

At the young age of 27 (September 1954) he immigrated to the United States as a poor immigrant. He worked as a machinist in New York. He was very proud to buy his first car, an old Dodge, after being here only two years. My dad worked hard always looking for a better paying job with lots of overtime. Back then he saved every penny.

In New York, 1961 he married my mom who was also an immigrant from Germany. They had three children, Monica, the oldest, me and Philip the youngest. In 1963 they drove cross country to California in a VW bug pulling a U-haul trailer. Rumor had it that job opportunities were better there. First they lived in Culver City in a furnished one bedroom apartment. They eventually bought their first and only home in Garden Grove (1966).

My dad was humble about all his accomplishments and wasn't a great communicator BUT WHAT HE LACKED IN WORDS HE SPOKE VOLUMES IN ACTIONS. He put a lot of thought into everything. We used to get frustrated with how much time he would spend on simple things like which car he was going to buy next. He was very wise and made good decisions. He always had a "bucket list" and it kept growing. He was determined to accomplish everything on it. From a very young age my dad was very meticulous. You may have witnessed this in how he wrote and in the pictures he took. And yes it was also very clear in his occupation as a machinist, now in the aerospace industry.

There were many good memories. He had a great love and respect for the ocean. I can still remember as a teenager going to the beach as a family and how embarrassed I was because he was the only one wearing a Speedo. It did not matter that people were staring at him. He took us on hikes up Mount Baldy, San Gorgonio, Mount Whitney and several times up Half Dome...and the list goes on. He and my mom even hiked into and out of the Grand Canyon all in a day. At the time I thought these hikes were pure torture but now I realize that they were character building and I will really miss doing this with him.

Anytime he thought we were bored on these trips he's say "Look out, take it all in, you may just be here once in your lifetime." I have great memories from these trips. He took us tent camping almost everywhere we went. I have had a chance to continue this tradition with my sons, his

grandsons, Nicholas and Michael but nothing even compares to the amount of trips Dad took us on. It's UNBELIEVABLE how much we saw when we were young and how much time he spent with us on these adventures. I really appreciate it more now and realize what he sacrificed for our happiness. We even went to Germany four times as a family of five!

During his lifetime dad took many courses at community colleges. He wanted to stay physically and mentally fit~always striving to improve himself. He knew just as much as I do about the computer and was always curious to learn more. Not only did he complete four marathons but four triathlons as well. He took up flying and I can still remember him studying long hours to get his private pilot's license. For three years he terrified my mom who by the way is scared to heights. She worried that he would make headlines in the news. Occasionally, she was his passenger and flew with him on trips as far as Petaluma.

I believe one of his greatest achievements was retiring at the age of 60 with all ten fingers still intact. The work he did was very dangerous. Safety was not a priority back then. I remember him coming home a few times with these big fingers bandaged in gauze and covered by rubber sleeves.

After his retirement he and my mom had good times traveling all over creating lasting memories. He went to more faraway places than most people only dream about. He created more volumes of photos than you could ever imagine. He grasped every moment and didn't waste a minute to experience life his way!!!

Dad took pride in his home and especially in his orange trees. I remember one year he packed up a box of his best crop of oranges and sent them to his dad in Germany. By the time they arrived they had froze. I remember feeling really sorry for him because all he wanted to do was prove to his dad that he had carved out a bit of "the good life", ALL on his OWN.

I am very proud of everything my dad accomplished. He was a great example and a devote husband, dad and opa. He had a great life. If there was one thing he would say to you today it would be "DON'T WASTE A MINUTE; EXPERIENCE LIFE; TRAVEL."