Helmut Metzler
Thu, 04/03/2014 - 12:05am
News Staff
Helmut Metzler of Pitkin was born on October 15, 1949, in Offenburg, Germany, the son of Max Bruno Wilhelm and Katharina Luise (Moehrle) Metzler. He passed away on March 18, 2014, in Denver, Colo. after a short battle with brain cancer. Helmut loved the mountains and nature in general, was an avid snowmobiler and woodsman, and a voracious reader. He enjoyed woodworking and woodcarving and created beautiful pieces of furniture for his daughters. He loved his family very much and he so enjoyed being a provider for them. He was very generous, eager to help, enthusiastic about everything in life, loved to learn new things, and had a genuine spark for life. Helmut was a member of the Pitkin Volunteer Fire Department and the Pitkin Community Church. He was training to become a medical First Responder for the PVFD when he became ill in early February 2014. Helmut also served as Pitkin’s Street Commissioner since his retirement. Helmut studied in Germany both in Karlsruhe and in Giessen before coming to the United States early in 1976 on an exchange program from Justus Liebig Universität in Giessen, to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.. Suzy and Helmut met about three weeks after his arrival, were engaged later in the year and married on May 14, 1977, just 15 months after their first date. Helmut was a successful business executive, initially with W.R. Grace & Co., Memphis, Tenn., then joining Occidental Chemical Corp. and working first in Tampa, Fla, then Darien, Conn., and finally in Dallas, Texas. He retired early in 2009 to spend more time with his family after having commuted to Dallas from Pitkin for thirteen years. He traveled all over the world with his work. Helmut is survived by his wife, Susan (Olson) Metzler of Pitkin, Colo.; daughters Katy of Pueblo, Colo., Heidi of Boulder, Colo., and Kelsey of Santa Rosa, Calif.; his mother, Katharina Luise Metzler (who will be 100 years old next month) of Offenburg, Germany; brothers Gerhart Metzler of Zell-Weierbach, Herbert Metzler of Fessenbach, and Wolfgang Metzler of Offenburg, Germany; nieces Dana (Curtis) Nuttelman Malfeld and four children of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Cathrin (Nils) Metzler Moen of Frankfurt, Germany; Libby Olson of Denver, Colo.; and Katherine Olson Mestdagh of Parker, Colo.; nephews Gerhart Metzler Jr. and his family of Karlsruhe, Germany; Matthias Metzler of Karlsruhe, Germany; Max Nuttelman of Boulder, Colo.; Charlie Nuttelman of Boulder, Colo. ; Philip (Anne) Metzler and two sons of Cupertino, Calif.; and Yves Metzler of Heidelberg, Germany. Helmut was also very close to Suzy’s sister Nancy (Bob) Nuttelman of Colorado Springs and Pitkin, and Suzy’s brother Pete (Mary) Olson of Garden City, Kan., and Pitkin. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pitkin Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 235, Pitkin, CO 81241, or to the American Brain Tumor Association, 955 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 550, Chicago, IL 60631.
