Helmuth Scherer died Thursday, May 19, 2005 at his home in Winooski, Vermont, after a courageous and painful struggle against an alarming number of critical ailments. 

Helmuth was a man of rare and outstanding talents, truly one of a kind. Born in Czervenka, Yugoslavia on May 8, 1936, Helmuth and his family, father Rev. Philipp Scherer, mother Olga Frieda Magdalena (Czakowski) Scherer and sisters Dorothea and Gerda, spent their early years fleeing from Tito's Partisans, and the bombs that fell on Europe during that war. The family was on the last train out of Dresden, Germany, before the infamous firebombing of that city. 

Their guardian angels worked overtime throughout their lives - in Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, Germany and the jungles of Brazil, his father to carry out Christian missionary work there. Helmuth grew up in the Brazilian jungle area of Candea and the bustling city of Porto Allegre. 
From Brazil, the family moved to Canada in 1955 where Helmuth received a scholarship from the Brazilian Baptist Convention, to attend college and subsequent medical school in the United States, to become a Medical Missionary. 

Helmuth graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgetown College (Kentucky) and attended Medical School for 4 years at the University of Kentucky at Lexington. Instead of pursuing his calling, however, an improbable series of events led him to establish a publishing and printing business in Lexington. Subsequently, Helmuth owned and operated several publishing corporations in the Virginia and Washington, DC area. 

Helmuth moved to Colchester, Vermont, on the shores of Malletts Bay, in 1990, primarily to find a quiet place to contemplate his lifetime experiences which, by this time, would have filled several books which he planned to write. Illness prevented him from completing his dream, although he was able to pursue his hobby, gardening, and to teach himself computer programming and become a "web-master", establishing websites for many Vermont businesses. Helmuth was a man of amazing intellect, personality and generosity, and made countless friends. 

He leaves his sisters, Dorothea Gerber of Toronto, Canada; Gerda Carroll of Colchester VT; four children: Ralph Scherer of Gainesville, VA; Wolfgang Scherer of Vienna, VA; Hans Scherer of Charles Town WV; and Heidemarie Scherer Randall of Marshall, VA. There are 8 grandchildren: Jonathan Scherer, Jennifer Scherer, Erika Scherer, Jessica Randall, Jacob Randall, Emilie Scherer, Katrina Scherer, and Abigail Scherer and his special friend Jenny. Helmuth is also survived by his ex-wife and mother of his children, Irmgard Scherer, with whom he sustained a continued friendship throughout his life. 

His family wants to thank Dr. Allan Ramsay, his primary physician who provided him special care over the last 15 years; Dr. Barbara Grant and Dr. George Philips during his treatment, and at least 17 more outstanding Vermont professionals who helped ease his life. 
Special thanks to Helen Turcott and Anya Martinez of the CVAA for helping manage his life during the past 4 years. Also to the Visiting Nurse's Association (VNA), especially care-givers Mary McDermott, Jackie Bettis, Fred Decarlo, Tina Smith, Jim Tatro, Kim Fox, Rebecca Brooks, and countless others who took selfless, wonderful care of him. 

Cremation has taken place and his children are taking him home to Virginia. Services will be at a later date in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. As memorial gifts, please consider donations to the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (CVAA), 1 Mill St., Burlington, VT 05401 and the Visiting Nurse Association, 1110 Prim Rd., Colchester, VT 05446.