Rolf Artur Beyer

Rolf Artur Beyer, age 91, of Mansfield passed away on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at The Waterford. Born June 9, 1926 in Dresden, Germany, Rolf was a trained tool and die maker by age 17, when he was drafted to serve his country in World War II. When the war ended, with his home city under communist control, Rolf moved to France, finding work with Peugeot.

While commuting via train from France to Germany to visit his parents, he met the love of his life, Herta Pech. Their love story would begin as pen pals and end with her passing in 2009, after nearly 60 years of marriage.

Rolf and Herta lived shortly in both France and Canada, before he found work with Ford Motor Company and they moved to Cleveland, Ohio. After eight years with Ford, Rolf began working at Sanchez Enterprises in Mansfield, Ohio, where he bought a home and relocated with his wife and four year old daughter. Several years later, he began working for General Motors in Cleveland, where he would retire in 1989.

After his retirement, Rolf continued to pursue his greatest passions … swimming, skiing, gardening and community service. Several times a week, he would swim at Friendly House or ski at Snow Trails, well into his 80’s. He was a long-time member of the Mansfield Liederkranz, helping build their facility and serving as their treasurer for nearly 20 years. He volunteered at Friendly House, Happy Hollow, Hidden Hollow and the American Red Cross. In addition to volunteering time with the Red Cross, he donated blood four times a year for more than 40 years.

Rolf is preceded in death by his parents Lisbeth and Erich Beyer and wife, Herta Beyer (Pech). He is survived by his daughter, Cornelia Beyer (Tyler) Kline, and grandchildren, Garrett Beyer-Hammon, Tanner Beyer-Hammon, Christopher Kline, Cody Kline, Cameron Kline and Andrea Kline.

Family and friends may call from 2:00-3:00 pm on Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at the Ontario Home of Wappner Funeral Directors, 100 S. Lexington Springmill Road. The funeral will follow at 3:00 pm at the funeral home. Burial will be at a later date in Mansfield Cemetery. Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to Kindred Hospice or an Alzheimer’s/dementia research organization.