Obituary of Hans Heinrich Wulf

Schenectady - Hans Heinrich Martin Karl Wulf passed away peacefully in his home on the evening of January 5, 2017. He was 79 years old. Hans was born in the town of Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, Germany, on August 30, 1937, to Martin and Elfriede (nee Siems) Wulf. One of seven children, he grew up in Hitzacker, on the Elbe River, before moving on to study engineering at the Brunswick University of Technology. It was there that he met his wife, Marlis, whom he married in Berlin in 1966. The following summer, Hans and Marlis boarded a merchant ship bound for New York to seek a new life for themselves in America. Shortly after their arrival, Hans accepted a job at General Electric in Schenectady. About a year later, Marlis gave birth to their first child, a daughter they named, Anja, and in the years that followed they would have two more children: another daughter, Kirstin and a son, Derrick. They moved for a time to Fitchburg, MA, San Jose, CA, Novi, MI and Brussels, Belgium, before moving back to Schenectady in 1981. Hans continued to work for GE until his retirement in 1997. He loved his family, including his five surviving grandchildren, and took great pride in providing for them. Smart, loyal and caring, his smile could light up a room; and his jokes always generated laughter, if only by their long-winded and elaborate delivery. He loved children and was a gentle, calming presence in his grandchildren's lives. Hans will be remembered by all who knew him, and dearly missed by those who loved him. A private funeral service will be held in Germany.