Obituary of Heidi Petschuch

Ms. Heidi Petschuch, 57, of Modesto, passed away unexpectedly Monday, October 1, 2007. Ms. Petschuch was born March 17, 1950 in Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany to Paul and Ester Petschuch. Ms. Petschuch with her parents and sister Helga, immigrated to Lodi, California, in June 1955. She attended Lodi grammar school, middle school, and high school and went on to receive a B.A. in German and English as well as an elementary teaching credential in 1973 from the University of California at Davis. Ms. Petschuch was employed in the Modesto City School District for almost thirty years before retiring in June of 2007. Her most recent assignment as a sixth grade teacher was at Alberta Martone Elementary School. She previously taught on the Monterey Peninsula from 2000 to 2004, for the Monterey Unified School District, where she was honored with the Lori Flagg Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Petschuch distinguished herself and considered teaching to be the noblest profession. As an educator she believed she was responsible for the spirit and heart and mind of the students in her charge. She believed the central core of all good teaching is to teach the basics in a concise and orderly fashion, building from the simple to the complex. Accountability and self-responsibility was also core to her teachings, and her students thrived with her enthusiasm, energy and love for children. Ms. Petschuch was a member of the Modesto Teachers Association, and she was a member who served on the Board of Trustees of Unity Church in Modesto. She was also a Reiki Master Teacher. Her other interests included home decorating, traveling, reading and learning. She was especially drawn to philosophies and esoteric teachings. The exposure to these continually transformed her world view of people and events in loving and profound ways. Her magnetism, energy, and loving spirit will be remembered and missed by all. Ms. Petschuch was preceded in death by her parents, Ester and Paul Petschuch. She is survived by her sister Helga Marshall and brother-in-law Peter C. Marshall Jr. of Brentwood; her nephew Chris Marshall and his wife Corinne of San Jose; her aunt Rosa Kompauer and her husband Michael of Lodi; her aunt Adelheid Lietzke of Germany, and numerous cousins and their families in California, Nevada, Germany, Slovakia, and Bolivia. A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 21, 2007, 2:30 p.m. at Lodi Funeral Home with Reverend Ralph Grzecki from Unity Church of Modesto officiating. A Celebration of Life service will follow on October 27, at 10:00 a.m. at Unity Church of Modesto. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Heidi Petschuch's life may be made to Unity Church of Modesto, 467VenemanAvenue, Modesto, CA 95356 or the Library Fund at Alberta Martone Elementary School, 1413 Poust Road, Modesto, CA 95356.