Rudolf Ernst Meschkat
Rudolf Ernst Meschkat, born April 12, 1932, was a long time resident of Castaic, CA and passed away suddenly on February 12, 2018 at 85.
Rudi, as he was known to his friends, grew up in a German farming community in Lithuania. In 1944, his mother Edith put 12-year-old Rudi and his 4 young siblings on a horsedrawn wagon headed for the ice covered section of the North Sea. Along ZLWK RWKHU UHIXJHHV WKH\ ÀHG WKH oncoming Russian army by traveling over the ice as the Russian tanks could not use this route. The family arrived in a port city where they waited 2 months to be transferred by boat to a safer German community.
At 17 Rudi left the family farm in Germany to become an apprentice machinist. He met and married the love of his life, Gerda, in 1954. In 1961, at the age of 29, with Gerda and his 2 young sons Ralph and Bodo, he bought tickets for a boat from Germany to Canada. With $100 in savings and a German/English dictionary in hand, Rudi found work as a machinist in Ontario, Canada. He also taught himself to drive. Their daughter Judi was born during their time there.
From the Western movies he saw RQ 79 KH ¿QDOO\ UHDOL]HG KLV GUHDP of moving to California in 1968. He moved to Santa Clarita and opened his own machine shop in the early 70’s. A skilled machinist, the company he founded made parts for the Mars Land Rover and Honda Performance Development. His son Bodo Meschkat and two grandsons carry on the business.
Rudi took his family on numerous ¿VKLQJ DQG FDPSLQJ WULSV /DWHU KH became an avid golfer. He and Gerda were very social and entertained family and friends often.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 62 years, Gerda; his sons Ralph (Mara), Bodo (Debbie), and daughter Judi Diamant (Michael); 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
He lived the American Dream and will be sorely missed by all!
A funeral service will be held at 1:00pm Thursday, February 22, 2018 at Eternal Valley Chapel of the Hills, 23287 N. Sierra Hwy, Newhall, CA
,Q OLHX RI ÀRZHUV WKH IDPLO\ has suggested donating to the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital Foundation (Emergency Department) or Public Broadcast Station (PBS).