Hans Jürgen, born in Hamburg in 1934 was deeply loved by both his European and American Families. Growing up in WWII era Germany, he was the only son with three sisters. As Europe struggled to recover from the horrors of war, the suffering each went through shaped them and they developed a captivating charm, a deep love of life and the endurance to define their lives rather than be defined by it. His sister Romy still heads the close-knit family with many nieces and nephews across the continent from Geneva. They all miss him so much.
Hans came alone to the land of hope and prosperity – the USA – to “practice his English”, but ended up staying for the rest of his life. Originally, he worked for the HSBCorp. in New York City and there he created a local network of friends that grew to literally encircle the globe as they branched out in their respective specialties. For over a half a century their friendships were still a dear and vital part of Hans’s life. Always with an eye for international business, Hans came out west with Continental Rubber Products –known for tires and industrial hoses; & of course, he was the unofficial ambassador of Germany. As an Investment Realtor Hans used his affable nature to work with some of the area’s biggest names Grubb & Ellis, Marcus & Millichap to name a few.
Based in the Bay Area he started a family & his son, Leonard lives as a Californian colonist in Nevada. Always optimistic & cheerful, Hans lived with an open heart. He always had a joke or quote to brighten someone’s day. Hans had what he called “our weekend family”, time spent with relatives not of blood, but bound together by love and the enjoyment of one another. The weekend families proved that love isn’t finite, that we can always grow to love more. Uncle Hans was the extra parent, the “plus one” chaperone, the “fun” relative available for any outing – picnics, going to the beach, a day at the lake, or off to the opera; one was often to hear “Oh Hans is here! Now we can begin!” Children turned adults now with their own children all called Hans Opa! The Hailey/Filiz family & the Fiedlers all have memories of advent calendars with Swiss chocolates & marzipan fruits. Even when the “children” were already adults – the Skalls holidays & celebrations weren’t complete without the “weekend family”.
Hans found a new community, the residents of Crane Place, a senior independent living association in Menlo Park. The seniors there often formed a new family of friends, and the place Hans wanted to remain until he passed, which he did on January 6th of natural causes. There will be a celebration of life on February 21st at 12 o’clock, noon at Crane Place 1331 Crane St. Menlo Park, CA.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.