Cecil Vernon Deutsch passed away peacefully on December 9, 2021. He was 88 years old.

Cecil was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1933 and attended Rice Lake High School.

When he was in the eighth grade, he met Sally Marie Catura, and they became an inseparable couple until they both graduated with the "class of '51." Cecil left Rice Lake to enter the Air Force. After basic training, Sally borrowed $50 from her future father-in-law, Eugene Deutsch, and took a bus to Witchita Falls, TX where they were married and began their life together. They had two children who were born at Edwards Air force Base in California: Dane Andrew and Tamara Marie. The Air Force gave him the opportunity to travel the world, and he loved telling of his many experiences. He was stationed in Korea, flew to Japan multiple times among other faraway places, and the family lived in Caracas, Venezuela for four years. While in South America he met one of the people who would influence him for the rest of his life; Robert Shaylor, the leader of an organization called the New Tribes Mission. He flew with these missionaries to the Amazon, and he has endless stories to tell of these adventures. When the family returned from South America, Cecil was stationed in Brainerd, MN during the Vietnam War, as the Air Force recruiter. After 20 years in the Air Force, Cecil retired and began a new career as a picture framer in The Elf Shelf, which Sally had started. In 1977, Sally and Cecil decided to return to their beloved hometown of Rice Lake and they opened another frame shop called Deutsch's Picture Framing which began in Sally's childhood home at 23 East Marshall and grew until they moved into a storefront on Main Street. Eventually, Cecil and Sally decided to retire and spend more time traveling to see their four grandchildren as Dane, their son, was an Air Force officer and was stationed abroad in Turkey. Cecil also became the official driver for Sally and her many trips across the country to find the 'treasured" Fenton milk glass, and visit family and friends. Cecil was very involved in his church, the First United Methodist Church, as the head usher. He became very interested in genealogy, and the search for historical family stories. The American Legion could count on him to help put flags on cemetery headstones, and raise and lower the flag every year at the Veteran's Park on Memorial Day. Cecil was a proud Korean War veteran. He volunteered many weekends at the Barron County Pioneer Museum where he demonstrated how rope was made. Keeping the spirit of "The class of '51" also became a real focus of his. But mostly, he enjoyed sitting with Sally lakeside on a still summer evening with a campfire crackling in the fire pit watching the sunset.

Cecil Deutsch was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sally Marie in 2019. He is survived by his 2 children, Dane (Kathy) Deutsch, and Tamara Deutsch; and 4 grandchildren; Toby (Melissa) Deutsch, Moses (Gwen) Deutsch, Sarah Deutsch (Phil Orstrom), and Israel (Ashley) Deutsch; 10 great-grandchildren, Eli, Maria, Sophie, Micah, Aydin, Addison, Allison Joy, Anna Lise Marie, Annika, and Anderson.

Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Friday, December 17, 2021 at Appleyard's Home for Funerals in Rice Lake, WI. Roger Schultz (Dean of History and Religious Studies at Liberty University) will be officiating with interment at Nora Cemetery in Rice Lake.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 11:00AM Friday at Appleyard's Home for Funerals. Reception after the funeral will be at the Rice Lake American Legion.

Last Update: Dec 13, 2021 7:42 pm CST