Erwin Henry Huch of Steeleville, formerly of Chester, Illinois, aged 79 years and one day, died peacefully following a long illness, surrounded by his family, on Saturday afternoon, January 2, 2010, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He was born on January 1, 1931, to Ben W. and Hulda (née Fedderke) Huch in Campbell Hill, Illinois. He attended Steeleville High School, where he played varsity basketball, and graduated from Campbell Hill High School in 1948. On June 9, 1950, he was married by Pastor Edgar Belter at Peace Lutheran Church in Steeleville to his high school sweetheart, the former Melba Louise Smith of Denmark, Illinois. Huch served during the Korean War in the United States Navy, from 1950 to 1954, as a hospital corpsman aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown. He graduated with honors in 1961 from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where he was inducted into the Rho Chi Honor Society. For 20 years, he and his wife owned and operated Huch Drugs in Chester. He helped to reorganize and was active in the Chester Chamber of Commerce. He was later Director of Pharmacy at Memorial Hospital in Chester. He also worked as a consulting pharmacist in DuQuoin, Murphysboro, Carbondale, and Percy, as well as the Chester Mental Health Center and Menard Penitentiary in Chester. Huch was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Wine Hill, Illinois. He also belonged to American Legion B.B.K. Post 480 in Steeleville and V.F.W. Post 6865 in Sparta, Illinois. He was also very proud to have been a private pilot in the 1970s and enjoyed many family trips in his Piper Cherokee Arrow II. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister and brother-in-law, Anita (Ted) Misselhorn, of Belleville, Illinois; two brothers, Wilbert (Jeanie) Huch of Rochester, New York, and Harold (Eunice) Huch of Belleville; two nephews, Jerome Misselhorn of Belleville and Peter Huch of San Diego, California; and two nieces, Colleen Huch Haberman of Sparta and Frances Misselhorn Crawford, of Edwardsville, Illinois. Erwin Huch is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 60 years; two children, a son, Scott Huch, of Falls Church, Virginia, and a daughter and son-in-law, Jodi and Ken Durio, of Lafayette, Louisiana; a grandson, Michael Durio, also of Lafayette; a brother, Herbert (Elizabeth) Huch of San Diego; three nephews, Henry (Nan) Misselhorn of Belleville, Steven Huch of San Diego, and Blake (Linda) Huch of Belleville; four nieces, Jacqueline (Rick) Donofrio of Rochester, Diana Misselhorn of rural central Pennsylvania; Lisa (Scott) Laughter of San Diego, and Raejean Huch of San Diego; along with numerous great nephews and nieces, many dear friends, and the family's pet chihuahua, Tito. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 11:00 am at the Wilson's Funeral Home in Steeleville with Rev Edwin Reuter officiating. Burial will follow at the Evergreen Cemetery in Chester with military honors. Visitation will be at Wilson's Funeral Home, Steeleville where the family will receive callers at on Tuesday evening, January 5, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m., and on Wednesday morning, January 6, from 9:00 a.m. until the start of funeral services at 11:00 a.m. Memorial gifts may be made to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Wine Hill.