Hanspeter N. Fesenmeyer Obituary
Hanspeter N. Fesenmeyer, 91, was a proud husband, father, grandfather, friend, and lifelong learner who strongly believed that there was always room for improvement. Hanspeter passed peacefully on August 10, 2023, in Norwalk, CT.
Hanspeter was born on November 26, 1931, to Leonhard and Rosalie Fesenmeyer in Basel, Switzerland. On September 28, 1957, Hanspeter married his long-time family friend, Elisabeth, whom he spent 66 wonderful years with prior to her passing on April 6, 2023. Hanspeter was a dedicated student who went onto receive his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland on October 5, 1960. In 1964, Hanspeter, Elisabeth, and their two young sons, Christian and Andreas, immigrated to Tom's River, NJ for Hanspeter's job with Ciba-Geigy. It was there that Hanspeter and his family discovered their love of boating—a pastime he would continue to enjoy for decades to come. Along with their third son Daniel, the entire family moved to New Canaan, CT in 1973, where Hanspeter and Elisabeth happily resided for the next 50 years. Hanspeter continued rising through the ranks of management at Ciba-Geigy until he retired on December 17, 1993. In retirement, Hanspeter could often be found at the golf course with friends, on his tractor ensuring that his lawn was perfectly manicured, or on the docks of Shore & Country Club scrubbing the decks of Basilea until they gleamed.
Hanspeter enjoyed discovering the latest high-tech gadgets (and reading their manuals cover-to-cover to teach himself how to use them), finding the best deals on his favorite red wines, organizing and labeling all of his belongings, listening to classical music in the car, telling stories about his early life in Switzerland, and showing off his two beloved Steiff Teddy bears, Gauerli and Pinseli. While Hanspeter was often more reserved in nature, he also had an excellent sense of humor paired with a booming chuckle that could fill a room. Hanspeter held himself and everyone around him to the highest standards, and often realized your full potential before you did, which has left a lasting impact on the lives of all that knew him.
Hanspeter was predeceased by his wife, Elisabeth, his parents: Leonhard and Rosalie, his sister Rosmarie, and his brother Walter.
Hanspeter is survived by his three sons and their wives: Christian and Monique, Andreas and Michele, and Daniel and Leanne; his grandchildren: Elizabeth, Lynn, Sarah, Mark, Kristin, Laina, Ryan, Lucas, and William; and his great-grandchildren: Nora, Adaline, and Prudence.
A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. on August 25 at St. Aloysius Parish, 21 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT. The burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Dementia Society of America (dementiasociety.org).
