Gisela Lia Hellmich

Gisela Lia (Schmitt) Hellmich, age 82, passed away on Sunday, September 8, 2019, in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany. Gisela Lia was born in Darmstadt, Germany, on January 3, 1937. She lived the past 54 years in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, near Duesseldorf. She was married for 51 years to Gunter Edmond Dietrich (Dieter) Hellmich until his death in 2015. She worked alongside Dieter in his electrical company, Hellmich Electric. Dieter was an electrician and Gisela served as his office manager. Gisela is survived by her two sons, Juergen Gerhard Hellmich (Scarlet Stringfellow) of Daphne, AL, and Thomas Friedrich Hellmich (Katja Hellmich) of Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany. She is also the Oma (grandmother) to one grandson and two granddaughters which include Jan and Anja Hellmich, and Celena Hellmich. She loved her grandchildren and proudly "bragged" on them all. Gisela and Dieter loved to travel and visited many countries during their 51-year marriage. However, she also enjoyed being at home and baking amazing Kaesekuchen (cheesecakes) for friends and family especially on their birthdays. She was also very active and enjoyed taking long walks during the day with her dogs, Aika and Mexi. However, nothing gave her more pleasure than spending time with her family. Over the past 1 1/2 years, she was able to come to the U.S. and enjoy time with Juergen and Scarlet. Scarlet's family in Mobile became her family too and she loved visiting them all. She loved the beautiful beaches along the Gulf Coast, watching the Blue Angels fly, eating great food, visiting the gardens at Bellingrath, and just lying poolside during the day. She was extremely active physically, even out hiking everyone during a visit to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Gisela was also raised as a Catholic and even though she had not been practicing for many years, she did proudly announce to Scarlet that she loved her Faith. While in the U.S., she enjoyed attending Mass with Scarlet at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Downtown Mobile. It was very apparent that her Faith in God was still very much alive and that she believed in something greater beyond the ephemeral world. Gisela Hellmich was an inspiration to us all and we will cherish her memory everyday. A visitation for Gisela will be held Saturday, September 21, 2019, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Serenity Funeral Home, 8691 Old Pascagoula Road, Theodore, Alabama 36582. A graveside service will occur Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 3:00 PM at Serenity Memorial Gardens, 8851 Old Pascagoula Rd., Theodore, AL 36582. An interment will occur at Serenity Memorial Gardens, 8851 Old Pascagoula Rd., Theodore, AL 36582. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.serenityfuneralhome.com for the Hellmich family.

Tributes

Gisela Lia Hellmich

January 3, 1937 - September 8, 2019