Gerhard Kreikebaum's Obituary
Gerhard Kreikebaum
8/11/1944 -10/24/2017
Gerhard Kreikebaum, 73, of San Bernardino died unexpectedly surrounded by family on Tuesday, October 24, 2017. Born to Walter and Marta Kreikebaum in Altena, Germany on August 11, 1944, he graduated from RWTH Aachen University then received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. There he met his beloved wife Cathy (Jedrek). They were married for 42 years. He was a devoted Dad to their 3 children: son Frank Kreikebaum, wife Liz, of Seattle WA; daughter Sara Murphy, husband David, of Chula Vista, CA; and son John Mark Kreikebaum of Berkeley, CA. He was an outstanding “Opa” (Grandfather) to Grandsons AG and Casey Kreikebaum and Granddaughter Kaitlin and Grandson Ryan Murphy.
He worked in the field of environmental monitoring instrumentation and developed numerous U.S. and international patents during his career. He retired in 2015 as General Manager at Climet Instruments in Redlands, California.
Gerhard loved traveling, hiking, and photography. Together with Cathy and their family, he travelled throughout Europe including his favorites Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, and Greece; and also toured Australia, Tanzania, Cuba, and Japan. He enjoyed discovering America’s magnificent National Parks, including the Everglades, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier Bay National Parks. He also truly enjoyed the beaches in CA, FL, SC, GA, and Hawaii.
He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as his sister-in-law Patricia Lehman (husband Gary) of Fort Wayne IN, nephews Nick and Tim Lehman of Anchorage AK, and niece Rebecca Lehman of Sydney, Australia.
He was a kind and gentle man; a loving Husband, Dad, and Opa who will be missed by all. There will be a viewing from 5-7 PM at Bobbitt Memorial Chapel on Friday, 11/3. Mass will be held at Our Lady of Hope on 11/4 at noon, followed by burial at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Gerhard’s memory to America’s National Parks or to the Wildlands Conservancy where Gerhard shared so many smiles with his family and friends. Or share a smile on a walk through a park or on a favorite beach in memory of a wonderful man who is greatly loved and missed.
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