Anneliese Graunke Maar passed away peacefully on October 10, 2024, at the age of 81. She was born in 1943 in a small town in Pomerania, Germany, the second daughter of farmer Oskar Graunke and his wife Dora. In 1945, at just two years old, Anneliese and her family fled to Western Germany ahead of the advancing invading forces. After several relocations, they eventually settled in Hannover, Germany.
Anneliese pursued her education at the Paedagogische Hochschule in Hannover, where she trained to become a teacher. It was during this time she met her future husband, Herbert Maar. The couple married in Wiesbaden in 1968, after which Anneliese began her career teaching primary school, first in Wiesbaden and then in Düsseldorf. She taught in Düsseldorf until her retirement, during which she and Herbert raised their two children, Anja and Stefan.
In 1978, the family moved to Antwerp, Belgium, and later to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1987. Following Herbert’s retirement in 1994, the couple decided to settle permanently in the United States, where they became American citizens in 2001. Anneliese remained active in the community, serving as a Deacon at Green Hill Presbyterian Church and volunteering at the Emanuel Dining Room, where she helped deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound residents.
Anneliese was also an active member of the International Women’s Club in Wilmington and a longtime member of Hercules Country Club, where she indulged in her passion for golf. Her greatest joys, however, were her family, her beloved husband of 56 years, their children, and her grandchildren, Emma and Samantha.
Anneliese will be remembered for her meticulous homemaking and her ability to make every home she lived in feel warm and welcoming. She took great pride in creating spaces that were filled with love, and in her husband’s words, her presence always made life brighter. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Anneliese was predeceased by her beloved son, Stefan, and her sister, Charlotte. She is survived by her husband, Herbert, their daughter, Anja, her son-in-law, Tim, and her cherished grandchildren, Emma and Samantha.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Green Hill Presbyterian Church, 3112 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807, or the Nemours Children’s Hospital, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803.
A funeral service will be held at 11:30am on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at Green Hill Presbyterian Church.
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