VENT Henrietta C. Vent, 92, died at Sibley Hospital surrounded by family members on April 25, 2015. Henrietta was born August 2, 1922, in Charlottenburg, Germany, and raised, with brother Henning, by parents Johanna and Johannes Wicht, both teachers. She attended lyceum in Zehlendorf, and the Humboldt University in Berlin until the end of World War II. From 1946-47 Henrietta served in the American Military Government - Educational and Cultural Affairs Office in Wiesbaden, where she met Captain Myron Hutzler Vent, an intelligence officer and teacher, who became her husband of 45 years. They raised five children, primarily in Chevy Chase, Maryland; the family was also posted to Paris and Beirut, where Dr. Vent served as an international education specialist. The family home, a holiday center for eight grandchildren as well, was bi-lingual and multi-cultural, with an accent on music and a focus on education. Henrietta loved sport throughout her life, especially mountain hiking, tennis and swimming, particularly at Dewey Beach, where the family kept a summer home from 1965. She loved Washington football and watching tennis tournaments. She supported German-American cultural exchange and was an early member of the German School of Washington (Potomac, Maryland) and a member of its Board of Directors. She served as Chair of the Friends of the German School until 1983, when she began caring for both her mother's and husband's illnesses. Henrietta was a faithful member and senior Elder of the German Lutheran Church of Washington (Bethesda, Maryland), which she helped found in the 1970's, and where she had many friends. Henrietta was an avid gardener who loved her greenhouse. She had a deep appreciation and keen knowledge of music, particularly opera. She never lost her love of life - she was a cherished friend and gifted communicator, staying in touch on a regular basis with European relatives and countless friends around the world. During the last five years at Grand Oaks Assisted Living Home she found much loving support. It was there that she was able to entertain family and friends, and with great joy meet her great grandson Edward "Teddy" Owen for the first time.
Henrietta was preceded in death by her beloved husband Myron and her older brother Henning Wicht. She is survived by her children, their spouses, her grandchildren and great grandchild: Henning Vent; Johanna McPherson and husband Douglas with Megan McPherson; Olivia Vent and Peter with Julian and Christel Trutmann; Astrid Mueller and husband Robert with Andrew Mueller, and with Amy Owen and husband Matt with Edward Owen; Joachim Vent and wife Donna with Marielle, Nina and Conrad. Other surviving family include: Stefan Wicht, Jonathan Wicht, Susanne Wicht, Johannes Wicht, Christian Kramer, Janni Peters and Minne Peters.
Services will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Henrietta may be made to The Arc of Washington County, Hagerstown,MD, www.arcwc-md.org, or WETA, Arlington, VA, www.weta.org.www.arcwc-md.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.weta.org.www.arcwc-md.org, or WETA, Arlington, VA, www.weta.org.
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