Obituary: Heinz Mueller

Heinz married Bernetta (Berni) Brey on Oct. 13, 1973. They spent the first five years of marriage in Rosemont, Illinois, then moved back to Reedsburg in 1978. The possibility of Bigfoot hunts intrigued Heinz and the family moved to Hood River, Oregon, in 1987, where Heinz lived until his passing.

Heinz was beloved by his family and friends. He touched the lives of many with his kindness, caring, sense of humor, and desire to find fun in life. Heinz was a generous and loyal friend who possessed a talent to fix just about anything. This gift served him well during his 40 years of employment in HVAC and facilities maintenance.

Heinz was a man of the outdoors. He found solace and joy in the mountains, rivers, and forests. His passion for fishing was legendary, and he often delighted his friends and family with tales of epic catches. He loved his Tenkara rod so much that he made sure his sons, other relatives, and friends all had Tenkara rods and learned the correct way to use the rod. He spent many peaceful hours on Laurance Lake in his belly boat or on the Metolius River in his waders. He also loved hiking and camping and riding his bike on trails. His love for nature was infectious, and he inspired many to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

Heinz loved climbing trees. The taller the tree the better. He had one special tree, a huge 110-foot tree in Hamilton Park in southwest Portland that he taught his grandsons to climb. Heinz was passionate about music. His vinyl collection grew and grew over time, and he loved cranking up the volume and truly feeling the vibes of Hendrix, Ozzy, and the one-hit wonders of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Heinz was preceded in death by his mother Renate; father Bruno; brother John Anderson; grandparents Christian and Martha Pfletcher; uncle Heinz Haenel; sister-in-law Monica Ritzer; and special family Laurie Brey.

Heinz is survived by his wife Berni; sons Heinz (Cristina) Mueller of Beaverton, Oregon, and Karl (Nicole) Mueller of Tigard, Oregon; grandsons Marcos Mueller, Hayden Mueller and Riley Mueller; sister Cindy Anderson of Madison, Wisconsin; brothers Paul Anderson of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and Roy Anderson of Waukesha, Wisconsin; in-laws John Leo Brey of Thiensville, Wisconsin, Franklin (Judy) Brey of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Teresa (John) Holbrook of Oakland, Tennessee, Paul (Melissa) Brey of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Calvin (Luann) Brey of Reedsburg, Peter (Laurie) Brey of Parker, Colorado, and Maria Doering of Edina, Minnesota. Heinz is also survived by several nieces and nephews, cousins, and dear friends, all who will forever cherish his memory.

A gathering to honor and celebrate Heinz will be Saturday, Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. at Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church in Fairview, Oregon. Family and friends are invited to remember and celebrate Heinz’s life. The service will also be live streamed and can be accessed at www.youtube.com @smithmemorialpres.

The family wants to extend a huge thank you to Providence Hood River, Providence Hospice and OHSU for their amazing care and support they provided. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church’s Worship Fund or Food Pantry Fund.