Curtis John Dornbusch

Curtis (Curt) John Dornbusch, 71, entered eternal rest at the Good Samaritan Society in Howard, SD on July 26, 2023. A memorial service, with Military Rites, will be held 10:30am in Howard, SD on August 14th, 2023, at the St. Agatha Catholic Church, with inurnment services to follow at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. A visitation will begin at 9am prior to services.

Curt was born on October 8, 1951, in Madison, SD to Donald and Mildred (Peta) Dornbusch. He attended St. Agatha’s Catholic school until his junior year and then later graduated from Howard High School in 1970.

His fondest childhood memories were duck hunting with his siblings. Sundays after Catholic Mass their beloved mother, Mildred, would cook a delicious duck dinner from their most recent outing.

After high school, Curt enlisted in the Air Force and completed special training at Lackland AFB in Texas and was later reassigned to Elgin AFB in Florida. It was from here that he was deployed to Thailand as a part of the Vietnam War. From Thailand, he flew supply missions into Vietnam. Curt was honorably discharged as an E4 Sergeant and veteran of the Vietnam War.

Upon returning home, Curt attended Mitchell Technical Institute and graduated with an associate degree in Heating and Cooling and Culinary Arts. Curt enjoyed hands-on trades and worked for many companies, including Gehl and PBM, and most recently he retired from Dawson Construction.

As a retiree, he was a cherished neighbor of the Sunrise Terrace community with a charming display of windchimes outside his residence. He was an energetic member of the ‘Men’s Coffee Club’ at Corner Pantry, and active with the American Legion.

In his youth, Curt was the first baseman of the Howard State Championship team, and he never lost his love of hometown athletic events, especially football. He was a mainstay in the ‘Friday Night Lights’ crowd cheering on the Howard Tigers.

He is survived by his siblings: Mary (Dr. Craig) Hanson, of Howard SD; Monica (James) Pipes of Ruston, LA; Armand (Kristi) Dornbusch of Howard, SD; Keith (Lori) Dornbusch of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Sister-in-law Susan Dornbusch of Howard, SD; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

He is preceded in death by his parents Donald and Mildred Dornbusch of Howard, SD; and siblings Gregory Dornbusch of Howard, SD; Julie (James) Richardson, Middletown, RI; and two nephews.

Funeral arrangements are provided by Willoughby Funeral Home.

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