Ute Hellenbrand

Take my heart, little Child

And bury it deep in yours.

Keep my Love and Laughter

Forever young.

And Smile upon me

when I am old and grey, and sometimes sad

Take my heart, little Child

And bury it deep in yours.

-Indigenous (Anon)

Ute Anna (Döring) Hellenbrand died on Monday, March 30, 2026 at Glasgow Hall Residence. Born on April 25, 1938, she was the second of 4 daughters of Ilse and Walter Döring in Bartenstein (today Bartoszyce), East Prussia (today Poland).

World War II cut a care-free childhood short, and in 1944 the family became refugees taken in by relatives in the Harz mountains in Eastern Germany. From there, the family moved to Brake and later Hannover.

After her school years Ute trained as a physiotherapist in Göttingen where she met her husband, Klaus, then doing his PhD in agricultural sciences. The couple married in 1962. Ute worked as a physiotherapist in rehabilitation until the birth of their two children, Wiebke and Uwe, in 1963 and 1964. The young family then moved adventurously through Holland, Switzerland and Canada, eventually settling in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where Klaus was employed at the Nova Scotia Research Foundation.

Ute was a wonderful homemaker. She imparted her love of reading and music to her children. She was interested in nutrition and liked trying new and healthy recipes. She baked delicious whole grain bread and made yoghurt regularly. She loved to host friends with a good traditional German spread of breads, meats, cheeses and salads. She became interested in yoga, eventually teaching it herself. Ute enjoyed many outings to the beaches and parks of Nova Scotia with her family. She often hosted relatives from Germany and enjoyed her trips back to visit parents and sisters.

In later years she enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow-up, albeit in Germany – but with regular visits to Nova Scotia. Anna and Sonia spent time in Halifax and she cherished getting to know them well. With Klaus, she became a movie buff; besides new releases they would go to watch “Live from the Met” regularly. They also watched many a series on television.

Ute was inspired by beauty, whether in nature, in art, in literature. She loved to buy beautiful artisan objects to decorate her home or as gifts. She celebrated gourmet meals at local restaurants. She had a great sense of humour and loved to laugh.

Ute is survived by her husband Klaus, her daughter Wiebke with Matthias, Jan Eric and Sonia, her son Uwe with Stephanie, Anna and Nicole, her sisters Karin Schaper and Bärbel Heinicke and families, all in Germany. She was predeceased by her sister Elke.

A Celebration of Life and reception will be held at: A.L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland St. in Dartmouth, date to be announced . If so desired, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust or your own favourite organization in support of the natural environment would be greatly appreciated.