30, April 2011
For those who do not know how Emil died, it happened while he was skiing with his brother Erich and a friend in La Molina, a resort in the Spanish Pyrinees. After a few hours of skiing and apparently feeling great, he collapsed at the end of a ski run. Although his brother and medics were immediately on the scene trying for 45 minutes to resuscitate him, there was nothing they could do. He apparently died from sudden cardiac arrest and most likely didn't even know what hit him, it happened so fast. (For more info on SCA: www.sca-aware.org/about-sca).
I am comforted in knowing he did not suffer as it was so sudden, and he was doing what he loved, with someone he loved, his brother.
I know many of you were unable to attend the funeral on April 2nd as it happened so quickly. I barely made it myself, having flown in the day before from Oregon with my 16-month-old daughter, Emilia (leaving my almost 4-year-old boy, Evan, and husband, Noel, at home). It was a beautiful ceremony in the forested hills of the Collserola, near where he was last living in Sant Cugat, Spain. Perhaps 80 or so people attended. Some family members gave speeches. A choir sang. All placed a flower on his coffin at the end.
He had always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread over Mont Blanc in the Alps, so his wishes will one day be granted. For now, some of his ashes are with his sister's in a coastal town's cemetary near Barcelona (Arenys de Mar) and some will be dispersed in Henley-on-Thames, England and Albany, Oregon by his immediate family.
He will be deeply missed. It is so tragic that his life was ended at such a young age (66), right when he was feeling perhaps his best, and with so much yet to savor in life. He was freshly semi-retired from Esade and Henley Business Schools, planning on spending time with his relatives in Spain and daughters and grandchildren in England and Oregon, and getting lots of projects done like organizing his photos and scanning his slides.
Luckily he lived his years to their fullest, rich with adventure and learning. I leave you with a comforting thought: the week before his passing he told his niece, Elisabeth, that when he thought of his life, he couldn't complain. He had lived it fully, enjoying so much of what he had experienced - travels, work, people he loved and was loved by - and has three daughters who are settled and happy in their relationships. What more could he ask for?
Thanks for sharing that, Papa!
For those who do not know how Emil died, it happened while he was skiing with his brother Erich and a friend in La Molina, a resort in the Spanish Pyrinees. After a few hours of skiing and apparently feeling great, he collapsed at the end of a ski run. Although his brother and medics were immediately on the scene trying for 45 minutes to resuscitate him, there was nothing they could do. He apparently died from sudden cardiac arrest and most likely didn't even know what hit him, it happened so fast. (For more info on SCA: www.sca-aware.org/about-sca).
I am comforted in knowing he did not suffer as it was so sudden, and he was doing what he loved, with someone he loved, his brother.
I know many of you were unable to attend the funeral on April 2nd as it happened so quickly. I barely made it myself, having flown in the day before from Oregon with my 16-month-old daughter, Emilia (leaving my almost 4-year-old boy, Evan, and husband, Noel, at home). It was a beautiful ceremony in the forested hills of the Collserola, near where he was last living in Sant Cugat, Spain. Perhaps 80 or so people attended. Some family members gave speeches. A choir sang. All placed a flower on his coffin at the end.
He had always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread over Mont Blanc in the Alps, so his wishes will one day be granted. For now, some of his ashes are with his sister's in a coastal town's cemetary near Barcelona (Arenys de Mar) and some will be dispersed in Henley-on-Thames, England and Albany, Oregon by his immediate family.
He will be deeply missed. It is so tragic that his life was ended at such a young age (66), right when he was feeling perhaps his best, and with so much yet to savor in life. He was freshly semi-retired from Esade and Henley Business Schools, planning on spending time with his relatives in Spain and daughters and grandchildren in England and Oregon, and getting lots of projects done like organizing his photos and scanning his slides.
Luckily he lived his years to their fullest, rich with adventure and learning. I leave you with a comforting thought: the week before his passing he told his niece, Elisabeth, that when he thought of his life, he couldn't complain. He had lived it fully, enjoying so much of what he had experienced - travels, work, people he loved and was loved by - and has three daughters who are settled and happy in their relationships. What more could he ask for?
Thanks for sharing that, Papa!
I don't know why I suddenly thought to look up Emil after so long. I suppose Facebook encourages us to look up old friends. I was saddened to hear of his passing. I met Emil in our 1% for Development days when we all worked in UN organizations and gave 1% of our salaries to development projects. He was so committed to everything he did, and full of life, and passing while skiing is certainly the way he would have wanted to go. I remember a group of us went skiing near Geneva and he spent most of the afternoon looking for his daughter (Maya I think) and finally joined up with us at the end of the day. Some people live shorter, intense lives, and I'm sure he's around his family and watching over them.
ReplyDeleteHello, I am Anne Beasley and I first met Emil and Kathy Herbolzheimer with my husband Ken Beasley (deceased in 2019) in 1970 in Caracas, Venezuela when Ken and Emil were LATF fellows with the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. They were like family and we had the opportunity to meet each other’s families during this special time. Emil organized twice weekly routines of evening exercise when we would walk together from their apartment in La Castellano to Los Palos Grandes where we would spend a couple hours jogging around a track with people of all nationalities and later gather at homes for Cuba Libres and pasa palos. One of the most memorable occasions was when we climbed the Avila.
ReplyDeleteWhen our families came to visit, we got together. I met Emil’s family, Kathy’s family. When my family from Sacramento came to visit, we spent a memorable Christmas 1970 in the Herbolzheimer’s apartment playing board games.
Then there were the camping trips we took to some isolated island where we slept in hammocks. Such fun, sitting around the camp fire after home made meals. Life was such an adventure.
After they returned to Michigan and Spain, we corresponded and Kathy told me all about her pregnancy with you, Sonya. My daughter, Nicole was born in Caracas in 1972 and my daughter Michelle in 1972. The last time I saw Emil was 1978 when he returned to Caracas for a visit and I think he was beginning a job with the UN. Later Ken joined USAID and I also worked in microfinance in the DR and Bolivia and SMEs when we were in Hungary. By that time we had two more sons, Kenny and Andy.
What can I say about Emil - he was such a caring individual who touched lives wherever he was. And he was an excellent economist and he and Ken would discuss that late into the night. I cried when I learned of Kathy’s death in Oregon from melanoma, and now I am saddened to learn Emil has also passed to the other side. His memory lives with those who had the pleasure of knowing him. I currently live in Northern Virginia near DC in Herndon. If you are on Facebook we could connect. My page is Jean Anne Beasley. My email is jeanannebeasley@gmail.com and my cell is 793-797-3902. Sonya Bachiller, I would love to connect with you and see Emil’s remarkable grandchildren.
Condolences, Memories and Much Love, Anne Beasley