Frauke Rademacher-Heidemann July 31 , 1939 – July 24 , 2023
IN MEMORIAM
Frauke Rademacher-Heidemann July 31 , 1939 – July 24 , 2023
Frauke grew up on a farm in the northwest corner of Germany , which was a wonderful foundation for a protected and happy childhood but did not provide a wide choice of professional options , especially in the aftermath of war .
An offer to emigrate to the US in 1963 and to obtain a BA at Northwestern University in Chicago was her chance . And after IBM convinced Frauke that a career with them would give her a seat in any opera house in the world … she felt she had arrived . Accepting US citizenship , she dove into American life and loved it . Participating in the early development of computers in the 1970s was breathtaking .
Frauke ’ s high school sweetheart brought her back to Germany to stay — but by then the development of the internet , laptops , and mobile phones , all of which she had experienced firsthand , removed all obstacles for making the move back .
Homesickness for the US was , however , a problem , until she met Becky Tan in 1992 , who introduced her to the AWCH — a “ home away from home .”
Frauke not only represented our club to FAWCO for ten years but also brought the AWCH closer to FAWCO . She was our club representative and later the Region 5 coordinator . She was recruited in 2006 to help organize the FAWCO conference in Berlin . As Angelika McLarren recalls , “ She was not so sure at the beginning but
jumped on the wagon full force by recruiting volunteers from all our sister clubs in the region .” Frauke continued to organize regional meetings all over Germany for over ten years , even organizing the meetings in towns without an AWC but with lots of history and culture , like Eisenach , Aachen , Lüneburg , and Leipzig . She also served as FAWCO advertising chair for many years . In 2011 Frauke received the Carolyn Curtis Brown Spirit Award for appreciation of service exemplifying the spirit , inspiration , and dedication of FAWCO founder .
Frauke loved to entertain at her home in Lüneburg but always made that extra effort to come to Hamburg for AWCH events and opera at the Staatsoper . And if you ever had the chance to visit her in Lüneburg for a tour of the city or the Lüne Abbey , you would not have been disappointed .
Her death was sudden and unexpected . Although she had had a few years of personal and health issues , she had a strong will to live and remain active . A dear friend from Chicago was visiting , and they had been traveling to Italy and Dresden and had just celebrated a birthday in East Frisia near the family farm that she had left so many years ago .
Frauke was a fountain of knowledge and an inspiration . Her professionalism , warm heart , and mischievous smile will be greatly missed .
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