Hannelore "Lori" Arlitsch

Hannelore Arlitsch, 91, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 14. She was born in Leipzig, Germany on July 25, 1933, to Kurt and Anita (Schnedler) Sachse and moved to Bad Wildungen in 1943.

While on vacation with her sister in Bavaria in 1955, Hannelore met Walter Arlitsch, who was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. Hannelore often told the story of how Walter rented a rowboat for the three of them, and after they had been on the Koenigsee for some time, he was shocked to learn that neither of the sisters knew how to swim.

In May 1956, Hannelore boarded the S.S. Stockholm in Bremen, Germany, and emigrated to New York, where she and Walter married. They lived in a small apartment in South Ozone Park, then in Flushing, and then moved to a house in Port Jefferson Station.

In Germany and during the first years of their marriage, Hannelore worked as a dental hygienist, but when her children were born, she devoted herself to being a mother and homemaker. Later, she worked part-time at Grants Department Store and then at Mid-Island Department Store in Port Jefferson Station. After Walter passed away, Hannelore moved to the retirement community of The Vineyards in Miller Place. She lived there, happily and independently, for more than 20 years, treasuring the new friendships that she made.

Hannelore will be remembered for her unequivocal love for her family, for her strong will, and for a wonderful sense of humor. She loved to cook and bake, and kept her mind sharp through reading, playing Scrabble, and never missing a Wordle. She loved visiting her sisters, Inge and Christel, in Germany, and their children and grandchildren. The bonds she forged for her children to their German cousins remain strong today.

Hannelore is survived by her children Ingrid (Fred) Fulmer, Hella (Tony) Rumschlag, Kenning (Deborah Keil) Arlitsch, and Heidi (Mark) Sutton; four grandchildren, Kendra, Andrew (Hayley), Jeffrey, and Elyse (Javier), and two great-grandchildren, Serena and Rosemary.

Visitation will be from 10:00 am until noon on Saturday, August 17 at Branch Funeral Home in Miller Place with private burial at Cedar Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization Hannelore admired.