WALDTRAUT E HUMMEL (nee Wanninger)

WALDTRAUT E HUMMEL (nee Wanninger) Waldtraut (Val) Hummel left the earthly sphere on November 18, 2024. She was born in 1933 in a small town in southern Germany and grew up during the difficult years of WW II and afterwards. While her early life was shaped by the drama of these cataclysmic events, she remained amazingly positive, caring and accepting of all cultures. As an adult she found a new home in the US when she and her husband Rolf (a German physicist) and infant daughter were invited to Florida and the University of FL community. She raised their three daughters in a bicultural bilingual home, endeavoring to give them an acceptance of all people. Waldtraut studied in Germany, where she received a Masters in global economics, and worked until the birth of their first child. In the US she became a multi-faceted artist, primarily creating textile art (which was exhibited in municipal buildings in Gainesville as well as private homes across the country and in Europe). She was also a writer and published author, including penning a compilation of experiences of WW II survivors and how they re-built their lives. This was written for an American audience to personalize events often seen through an impersonal lens. At the time of her passing, she was writing another book on European history, culture and society. She also used her eye for aesthetics and architecture to design their Nordic style home as well as several furniture pieces for commercial and family use. Her creativity extended to her love of music and playing the harpischord, following in the footsteps of her composer-father. She was actively involved in social and philanthropic endeavors, from her children’s and grandchildren’s education, to helping start Florida’s first Waldorf school, supporting Gainesville’s first public classical music concert series (Pro Arte Musica) and co-founding/running a non-profit foundation. She also took pleasure in studying languages as varied as Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and Rumanian, and held daily after-school German lessons for her young children for many years. Waldtraut made lifelong friends across the globe through her travels with her husband on his sabbaticals. She eagerly explored countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America. While she never knew how many lives she touched, she will be best remembered for her gentle, caring, empathic demeanor with everyone she encountered. She is survived by her husband Rolf, daughters Barbara Hummel, Andrea (Gilbert) Corella, Sirka Hummel and grandchildren Anika, Gwyneth, Mia, Sophie and Nathaniel.