ForeverMissed
Large image
His Life
January 30, 2016

Ralph H. Stiewe was born July 26, 1931, in Berlin as the oldest son of Dr. Willy Stiewe (1900-1971) and his wife Tilly Stiewe  (1905-2003). Together with his younger brother Klaus-Peter Stiewe (1934-2009) he grew up in Berlin where the family survived WWII. In June 1945, he established first contacts with the Americans in Berlin, who were in charge of the district of Berlin-Zehlendorf where the Stiewe Family lived. In 1949, Ralph applied for an immigration visa to the United States of America which after passing many examinations and inquiries was granted to him. This was only possible because his mother’s sister Edith Lehmann and her husband Walter Lehmann, who had to leave Germany in 1942, had given him an affidavit. For his entire life, Ralph was grateful to his aunt and his uncle for being so generous even though the Lehmanns themselves had a hard time making a living in the USA as refugees. Soon after being in the US he started his studies at Columbia University in New York City while at the same time working for Time & Life Inc.

In January 1955, Ralph became a US Citizen of which he was proud lifelong.

After finishing University in 1960 with Ph.D. in Political Science, Economics and International Law he worked for the Language Service Division of State Department assigned to the White House. After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he left State Department.

In July 1964 his son, Payton Stiewe was born who now lives with his wife Bettina Stiewe and their two children Parker and Blake in California. Payton is the son of Ralph and his first wife Christiane Katrin Stiewe (called Kika) who passed away in 1970.

In 1969 New York Air Brake/General Signal Corp. New York sent him to Germany only for one year to overlook the start up of their German Dependance near Hannover. For business and private reasons, it turned out that Ralph stayed in Germany and very soon moved from Hannover to his hometown Berlin. Here he worked for “Zauberkueche”, one of the first companies in Germany preparing ready-made frozen meals. Later in 1975, he joined KPM Royal Berlin, one of the finest porcelain manufacturers. His position served his both passions, representing the porcelain he adored and traveling for KPM around the world. In the 1980s Ralph Stiewe was known in Berlin, especially in the group of the International Allies, to be convinced that the Berlin Wall will fall, which practically nobody except him believed. His common saying was “the fall of the Wall can happen tomorrow morning”.

He retired from his work with KPM in 1995 and enjoyed having more time to live a full and interesting life in his beloved City of Berlin with its generous offers of culture, especially Art and Music.

Ralph Stiewe died on May 1, 2014, after suffering from severe illnesses surrounded by his family at his home in Berlin.