Heinz Adolf Briegel

Heinz A. Briegel passed away peacefully on December 13, 2025 at the age of 97. Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany in 1928, he served in the German army starting at the age of 17, until being taken prisoner by American soldiers near the end of World War II. When the war ended, he returned home to Stuttgart and found work as a correspondent for a German company that had contacts overseas. Determined to improve his foreign language skills, he planned to travel to America, then South America, and finally to France before returning to Germany. Heinz emigrated to the United States in 1953, working in various trades until deciding to enroll as a student at University of Massachusetts - Amherst. Always an excellent student, he was also a very accomplished gymnast, and graduated in 1960 sum ma cum laude with a BS in Mathematics. Heinz was offered a position with Monarch Life in Springfield, MA as an actuarial student under the supervision of Miss Dorothy - also an actuary. Any future plans he had of continuing his travels and returning to live and work in Germany were thus ended. Heinz and Dottie were married in 1962, and he often joked that she was his boss when they met... and that never changed. The couple moved to Richmond, VA in 1966, where Heinz began his career at Fidelity Bankers Life Insurance Company, completing his actuarial studies under Dottie's strict tutelage. Both Heinz and Dottie became Fellows of the Society of Actuaries - the highest level of achievement in their field; at the time, there was only one other married couple in the country where both could claim the same distinction. They traveled frequently overseas and in the US, through work and with their growing family, and loved to share pictures of their travels with friends; having a slide show after dinner was an event in the Briegel household. Through Dottie's careful planning, Heinz was able to retire at age 62; he had been an avid tennis player for years, and was happy to have more time on the court. He was passionate about his gardening, he learned to play the piano, and even taught himself woodworking, creating a wide range of small wooden puzzles, keepsake boxes for family, and even larger pieces of furniture. He continued traveling with Dottie, including reunions nearly every year in Germany with his childhood classmates, until those were discontinued in 2015; Heinz was in fact the last survivor of his high school class. When Dottie passed away in 2016, Heinz continued to find comfort in gardening, woodworking, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He no longer swung a tennis racket - leaving the game to the younger "old fogies" - but remained a devoted fan of the game. He will always be remembered for his somewhat quirky German sense of humor, his self- discipline, his unwavering strength of character, and most of all, for the love he had for his family. He is survived by his daughter Karen of Venice, FL, his daughter Diana of Richmond, VA, and his son Rolf (Lisa) of Venetia PA; 5 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, his nieces Angelika and Brigitte in Germany, and their families. The family will hold a private service for their beloved Opa.