Helene Warzecha

Helene Warzecha, of Aberdeen, MD, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 23, 2022 with her loving family by her side. She was 84 years old.

Born September 25, 1938 in Silesia, Germany, Helene was the daughter of Margareta (Stoisch) and Martin Ibelherr. She was predeceased by her husband Herbert N. Warzecha, and was the loving mother of two children, Janet Warzecha Shenk, and Gary Warzecha. Along with her children, Helene is survived by her grandchildren Ryan and Erik Shenk, and great-grandson Hudson Shenk. She also leaves behind many very dear and special relationships locally, and across the United States and Europe.

Growing up in war-time Germany, Helene and her family relocated to Munich, Bavaria, when she was six years old to be reunited with family members who were separated by war. As a young schoolgirl there she met her best friend, classmate, and future husband Herbert Warzecha, who she spent 38 wonderful years with until his passing in 1995. As young newlyweds they traveled Europe extensively before deciding to chance a new adventure, learning a new language and culture, and making their home in the United States.

Helene worked in a variety of fields during her lifetime and previous to her retirement in 2005, was employed for the State of Maryland as a Certified Travel counselor. She enjoyed meeting and interacting with people from all over the world and loved traveling throughout the state and learning about Maryland history. She enjoyed visiting family in Europe and still kept in touch with childhood friends from “home”. Some of her fondest memories were returning to her hometown of Erding in Bavaria, and visiting Italy, France and Tunisia.

Helene was a ray of sunshine and immediately lit up any room she entered with her humor and personality. She made an impact on everyone she met. Her home was always filled with warmth and kindness, and her door was always open for a “good” cup of drip coffee and a piece of cake, or the occasional cocktail. She loved talking about history, geography, and sharing stories with people who crossed her path. She was very proud of her German heritage and was a member of the Deutsche Saengerbund Club in Newark, Delaware. She was delighted to be part of a German “Kaffeeklatch” group which resulted in friendships lasting over 50 years. Her other interests included cooking, reading recipes, crossword puzzles, and family outings to the beach. In her later years she was happiest spending time with her close friends and children.