Hans Peter Braendlin

Hans Peter Braendlin, 91, died Wednesday, July 10, 2019. He was born in Miri, Borneo, where his father was a geologist for Shell Oil. Hans and his sister Trudy subsequently attended boarding schools in the Swiss mountains, where he was miraculously saved from an avalanche that killed most of the other students. The family moved to Basel in 1940 at the beginning of WWII and after the war Hans graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1960 he came to the States on a postdoc in the Chemistry Department of Purdue University. He became an American citizen and then, as he later often said, he found science to be too predictable, so he moved to Los Angeles and earned a PhD in the Humanities from the University of Southern California. Hans taught German at California Lutheran College and in 1968 became a professor at Florida State University, where he taught Humanities and German language and literature for many years. He was cherished by the generations of students he nurtured with his gifted abilities as a teacher and genuine interest, not only in their education but who they were as people. After retirement he published a play (Tar Tiff), a novella (Dementia), and a novel (Through a Venetian Looking Glass). Hans was a card shark and crossword savant. He loved classical music, comparative literature, and tennis (Go, Federer!). His family and friends fondly remember Hans’s generosity, wry sense of humor, and passion for social justice. We will always picture him with a Scotch in one hand, his beloved pipe in the other, and his 'what's coming next?' grin. Hans is survived by Bonnie, his wife of 51 years; his first wife, Esther Alston; two daughters, Andrea (Austin, TX) and Nikki (Los Angeles, CA); two grandsons, Miguel Cordero (Rebecca) and Guillo Cordero (Jade); and a great-grandson Jake Cordero. No service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Big Bend Hospice, the ACLU, or a charity of your choice. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the Braendlin family with their arrangements (850-385-2193 www.bevisfh.com)

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Hans Peter Braendlin

April 19, 1928 - July 10, 2019