Official Obituary of
Pierre Michel Ceuterick
March 6, 1923 ~ August 28, 2019 (age 96) 96 Years Old
Pierre Ceuterick Obituary
Pierre Michel Ceuterick, 96 years young, left this earth on August 28, 2019 at Memorial Hospital, South Bend after a long battle with complications following surgery. Pierre was born March 6, 1923 in Ghent, Belgium to the late Valarie VanDenWyngaert and Leon Ceuterick. He was the youngest of seven children, Henri, Paul, Edward, Jean, Robert and Marie Louise.
Pierre leaves behind his three devoted daughters, Patricia Ceuterick of Austin, TX, Michele Ceuterick-Feehan of South Bend, IN and Colette Ceuterick, also of South Bend, IN. He also leaves his son-in-law, Michele’s husband, Thomas Feehan of South Bend, IN; and granddaughters, Briana Feehan of Los Angeles, CA and Colette Feehan of Bloomington, IN; as well as his niece, Karina Ceuterick of Ft. Worth, TX.
Pierre graduated as a pharmacist in Ghent, Belgium, although the war would have other ideas for him; and so, he spent two years as a political prisoner in a German concentration camp. After the war, he met Jeannot Caroline Florin at a garden party, where Steffan Grappeli and Django Reinhart were playing. The four became lifelong friends. Pierre and Jeannot married soon thereafter, on September 25, 1947, and remained married for 64 years until her death on January 6, 2011. They relocated to the United States in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Every weekday for 54 years, Pierre worked as a chemist at Uniroyal (formerly known as Ball Band) from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm and then at St. Joseph Hospital, Mishawaka, initially in the pharmacy and eventually as an orthopedic tech in the emergency room, from 6:00 pm until 11:30 pm. He called his days at the hospital the happiest of his life. Pierre loved his job and loved helping people because his heart was overflowing.
Never one to toot his own horn, Pierre’s family had to find out about his numerous acts of kindness from others. These stories told over the course of a lifetime became precious gifts to his family. Pierre was a devoted husband and father. His daughters will tell you they grew up with the most beautiful of memories. When his children became teens, he worked all holidays for the young nurses who had little ones. He was always quick to send a hand drawn personalized card to anyone who needed a smile, a thank you, a pep talk or simply a greeting. He was so well known for his cards that many people kept every Pierre card.
He was extremely grateful for any act of kindness and loved meeting new friends, of which he had in abundance. Pierre loved sitting on his deck with wine and cookies ready for any visitor, and biscuits for the dogs. And, oh how he loved listening to jazz! His idea of a perfect night was meeting friends of all ages to listen to jazz in the parks or his favorite jazz bistro, Merrimans. He had perfect pitch and played jazz drums as a young man.
Pierre always said he was a simple man, and he was. However, he simply loved deeper and more beautifully than most people. And to have been loved by him, well there are no words to express what a precious, lovely gift that was.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am Saturday, September 14, 2019 in St. Therese, Little Flower Catholic Church, 54191 Ironwood Road, South Bend, IN.
A beautiful and joyful celebration of life will take place at 4:00 pm Saturday, October 19, 2019 in the clubhouse at Woodbridge Village Condominiums, 18156 Stoneridge Street, South Bend. Please prepare a memory or story (the family can read it for you if necessary).
Palmer Funeral Home – Hickey Chapel and Southlawn Cremation Services are assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.
To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.
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