Werner Hans Grilk

Werner Hans Heinrich Grilk of Ann Arbor, Michigan died on March 18, 2016, at Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor. He was 88 years old. Werner was born in Davenport, Iowa, on January 9, 1928. He served in the US Army in the late 1940s in Japan.

Werner received a B.S. degree from Northwestern University in 1951. He completed his M.A. degree in 1960 and his Ph.D. degree in 1966, both at the University of Michigan. He joined the UM faculty in 1962 as an instructor and was promoted to assistant professor of German in 1965 in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. He retired from that department in 1992. In 2002, a former student endowed a lecture series to honor his teacher and mentor. The annual series has featured a set of renowned, international speakers and presentations covering German language, literature, and culture.

Werner was preceded in death by his life partner, Warren L. Hallock, who died in 2013. He is survived by his younger brother Ernest (Gloria) Grilk of Bella Vista, AR, and his nieces, Rev. Cynthia (John) Engstrom, First United Methodist Church, Brackettville, TX., Karen (Danial) Noorani, Roselle, IL., and Cornelia (Bob) Schardt, Ft. Smith, AR. In addition, he is survived by Warren’s niece, Janet (Dominick) Anfuso, Little Falls, NJ.

Werner met Warren, in Ann Arbor in 1976 and they enjoyed 37 years together, sharing their interests in music, the arts, museums, and a great deal of travel throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. For many years they spent time in winter in San Miguel de Allende and summer in Maine. They especially liked travelling by cruise ship, often joined by friends. Each year, during the University Musical Society season, Werner and Warren attended many concerts at Hill and Rackham Auditoriums here in Ann Arbor. They looked forward to these concerts and discussing them with their many friends.

Werner and Warren enjoyed having long conversations with friends and hosted parties at their home and at favorite Ann Arbor restaurants. Werner was lovingly known by his friends for developing the art of “vestibuling” i.e., not wanting to say good-bye to friends at the end of an evening or dinner by starting a new conversation at the door. Werner was an excellent conversationalist and correspondent. He never allowed a friendship to lapse and kept in contact with all his friends, even those from childhood. He will be very much missed and lovingly remembered by his family and many friends.

Donations may be made in his name to the University Musical Society http://ums.org/ or send a check in memory of Werner H. Grilk to University Musical Society, 881 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.