Dietrich Wilhelm Heinritz

April 12, 1930 - January 4, 2019

Dietrich Wilhelm Heinritz, 88, passed away suddenly in a Napa hospital on Friday, January 4th. He was born in Lauenburg Germany. He had a happy childhood with his father Max Heinritz, mother Erika (Raguse) and two younger brothers, Wolfgang and Manfred. They lived primarily in the Northern region of West Germany and often vacationed at the Baltic Seacoast. Surviving the hardship of the war, Dietrich pursued his love of chemistry and attended the University of Munster in Westphalia. He came to America in the early 1950’s where he graduated in 1955 with a BS in Chemistry from U.C. Berkeley. In 1957, he met Ursula Koch, who he married and together they raised a family in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was a devoted husband, father and family man. Many summers were spent at Echo Lake in Desolation Wilderness, where he was able to enjoy his favorite hobbies; sailing and photography. His German heritage, culture and customs were very important to him and he loved to preserve tradition. That said, he took great pride in becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was born with luxation of both hips, and in the early 1970’s, he was one of the first people to have a hip replacement in America. Needless to say, that changed his physical life. Dietrich had a rewarding career as a chemist, working for NASA at Cape Canaveral in Florida, Stauffer Chemical Co., Ultra Chem Corp. and retired from IT Technology. He was a Mensa member since 1972 and had a passion for science and mathematics. He also enjoyed the arts, theater and classical music. As an avid reader, who loved good literature, he was known for his intellectual wit and humor. Dietrich is survived by Ursula, his wife of 61 years; daughter Elizabeth (Gregory) Daniell; sons Christopher (Cindy) and Andrew (Andrea) Heinritz; brother Wolfgang Heinritz; grandchildren Paris Daniell, Erika Daniell, Sara Eli, Thomas Heinritz, Trevor Heinritz, Analise Heinritz, Amelia Heinritz and Lorelei Heinritz; his great grandchildren Pierce & Carson Daniell, Charlie Peters, Poppy Heinritz and one more due next month. He was preceded in death by his brother Manfred Heinritz in 2016. He was loved by many and will be missed dearly. He will always be remembered as a brilliant, talented and caring man.