Obituary for Horst Zitzlaff
Horst Zitzlaff, known lovingly as Opa, was born in 1935 in Germany. The Lord called him home on December 31, 2022 at the age of 87.
First and foremost Horst loved his family. He also loved cars, he could tell you the make, model and year of any car-yet he was a true "Chevy Man". Amazingly, with that twinkle in his eye, he could fix anything and make it work. He enjoyed his Sunday BBQ, deep-sea fishing on his boat, gardening, swimming, traveling and his dog, Snoopy.
Horst grew up in Germany in an orphanage. As a young man he competed as a weight lifter across Germany. Being strong, he always carved his own way. Horst immigrated by ship across the Atlantic Sea to Montreal, Canada in the 1950's. He left Germany with nothing but a suitcase and almost no money. He got a job as a shipyard welder as well as an auto body repairman. It was in Montreal where he met his wife Rita. He worked on the DEW line in the Artic Circle. Upon returning he decided to move his family to a warm place, Miami, Florida. Where he worked as an auto repairman his entire life. when he retired, he moved to Otisville, NY, where he watched his grandson, Nick, grow up.
Dad had a heart of gold and always worked very hard to make a better life for all of us all and always treated me like a princess. He lived life on his terms all the way to the bitter end! In our hearts a memory will always be kept.
He is survived by his wife Rita of 62 married years, his daughter, Gabriele Scarpulla, son-in-law Richard and grandson Nicholas Scarapulla and his wife Gina.
He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Slate Hill Seniors, Wallkill Seniors and Greenville Seniors.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm at Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, Inc, 130 Highland Avenue, Middletown, NY, 10940. A Funeral Service will be held at his church, St. John's Lutheran Church, 391 Mt. Hope Rd, Middletown, NY, on Friday, January 6, 2023 at 11 am. Pastor Ernst Mosel will officiate. Cremation will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church or to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, Memphis, TN 38105.
To plant a tree in memory of Horst Zitzlaff, visit the Tribute Store.
Previous Events
Visitation
Thursday
5
Jan
2:00 PM
- 4:00 PM
Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home
130 Highland Ave.
Middletown, NY 10940
Visitation
Thursday
5
Jan
6:00 PM
- 8:00 PM
Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home
130 Highland Ave.
Middletown, NY 10940
Service
Friday
6
Jan
11:00 AM
- 12:00 PM
St. John's Lutheran Church
391 Mount Hope Road
Middletown, NY 10940
Memorial Contribution
Loading...