Jim McKusker speaks to the assembled crowd as the guest speaker at this year’s Memorial Day Service at Echo Park in Burlington. McKusker, a Vietnam War vet who was heavily involved in both veteran affairs and the Burlington community, died last week at the age of 65. (Photo by Ed Nadolski)
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Jim McKusker led a busy life, a life of service. He was a husband, a father and a veteran – active in the Burlington American Legion post.
He served many – and drew a large crowd of friends. So when McKusker died unexpectedly of a heart attack last week at the age of 65, there were many who lined up to pay their respects Monday and Tuesday.
“It was pretty heavy,” Lars Ekornaas of Schuette Daniels Funeral Home in Burlington of the traffic for Monday night’s visitation. “We had a line to the door for most of the night, out the door for part of the night.
“The parking lot was full all night.”
McKusker’s funeral was Tuesday, and he was buried with full military honors at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove Tuesday afternoon.
McKusker, who moved to Burlington with his wife, Donna, in 1992, had been beyond active in the community. He was the commander of Burlington’s American Legion post, and a past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In fact, he had held just about every leadership role possible in the Ross Wilcox American Legion Post 79 and the Anderson/Murphy VFW Post 2823.
In those roles, he helped with everything from Memorial Day each year to the presentation of the Purple Heart posthumously to Burlington’s Robert LeBreck.
But Jim McKusker also stood up and helped out in other ways. His wife, Donna, runs the local Special Olympics.
“He’d come and help with bowling,” said Donna, who was married to Jim for 40 years. “Come and help with the trophies.”
In her words, “he had his hands in everything.”
As a result, Jim and his wife were honored with the Rotary Club Humanitarian Award in 2009.
“Individually the McKuskers have had a profoundly positive impact on their adopted community,” said Ed Nadolski, chairman of the Rotary Club’s Humanitarian Award Committee. “Collectively, what they’ve done to improve lives and honor service here is nothing short of amazing.
“Jim’s passing will leave a tremendous void in leadership of the area’s veterans groups, but I’m sure through his example others will be inspired to step forward,” Nadolski added.
McKusker’s experience as a veteran came during the Vietnam War. He volunteered for the draft and served as an infantryman.
“He did not have a good experience in Vietnam, but he did not let it color his experience badly,” his wife said. She said he and other Vietnam veterans were not welcomed home, and “that just broke his heart.”
In addition, he suffered from health problems related to exposure to Agent Orange.
The support over the last week has heartened Donna, though.
“It’s indescribable,” she said. “Overwhelming, in a good way. There’s just not enough words.
“I had people at my door with coffee and cringle at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning,” “People have been just overwhelmingly kind. The outpouring of kindness and love and sympathy has been like a lifeboat in really crappy waters.”
Comments left online were equally supportive.
“He was a veteran’s veteran,” Bill Backes wrote on the Daniels Family Funeral Homes website, “and a great friend.”
Tom Voightman wrote, “He was and always will be a very good friend. I will truly hold the memories of Jim and our escapades in my heart and never will I forget him.”
Donna McKusker said Tuesday that those comments have helped her through her pain.
“I can’t thank the community enough for their show of support in this horrendously difficult time,” Donna added.
A video tribute
Jim and Donna McKusker were winners of the Burlington Rotary Club Humanitarian Award for 2009. Here is the portion of the tribute focusing on Jim that was created by Rotary Club member Ed Nadolski for the award presentation:
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So sad to hear about McKusker’s death.
As a reporter who covered Burlington for nine years, Jim was a vet I had interviewed many times and he was always so polite, even though it was obvious speaking of serving in the war choked him up and was painful for him.
But he always wanted to share those times to ensure future generations don’t forget about the contributions his generation made to society.
While we may sometimes feel sorry for ourselves and the tough times we’re going through, such as my accident which left me with a Traumatic Brain Injury I worked through in rehabilitation daily, those issues pale in comparison to what Jim had to undergo.
Good headline, Ed, as he certainly was a gentleman.
RIP, Jim. I’ll pray tonight that your soul goes to heaven where it can finally rest in tranquility.
Mark Dudzik