March 6 2019: HELLEBRAND, Heinz Joseph

Heinz Joseph Hellebrand

February 14, 1928 – February 26, 2019

 

Heinz Joseph Hellebrand, beloved husband of Patricia; father of Joanne Rasch (Charles), Robert Hellebrand (Sandy) and Richard Hellebrand (Lauren Martin); and grandfather of Gabriel, Silas and Eve Hellebrand and Corinne, Jillian and Grace Rasch, passed away in his sleep. He was preceded in death by his sister Maria Magdalena Smaga and brothers Anton Gerhard Kowaczek and Peter Herman Kowaczek.

Heinz was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1952. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, spending two years as a communications center specialist in Hawaii and participating in aviation cadet training until the war ended. He attended San Diego State College where he earned a bachelor’s of science in aeronautical engineering. He worked as an aerospace engineer for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 34 years, including posts in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Brussels, as well as a United Nations assignment to Brazil. Heinz was an avid traveler and collected stamps and clocks.

A funeral service will be held on March 12 at 11:00 a.m., preceded by a viewing at 10:30 a.m., at the Riderwood Chapel, 3140 Gracefield Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Advocates for Human Rights, which supports refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing oppression and tyranny. This is part of Heinz’s story too, as he fled communist Poland seeking a better life. To donate go to: http://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/donate, or send a check to the address on AHR’s website, indicating Heinz Hellebrand in the online form or check memo line.

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