June 14, 1924 - November 18, 2021 |
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Hans Noll died peacefully at home at the age of 97 on Nov.18, 2021. He was born June 14, 1924 in Stein am Rein, Switzerland to Pastor Johannes Noll and Hedwig Staehelin Noll. He was the 2nd of seven children. When he was 8 years old the family moved to Arlesheim near Basel. Deeply curious about nature from a young age, he delighted in observing it; drawing and painting butterflies, river and beach scenes, and for a while, kept pet snakes and turtles. As a high school student during the 2nd World War, he excelled in academics and languages. Alongside his growing passion for science, he cultivated an abiding interest in drama, literature and world affairs; at university he edited and wrote for the Basel University paper. He continued to be a prolific writer throughout his life.
In addition to being a consummate reader, he translated his brother Peter Noll’s book, On Death and Dying, from German to English and authored his own book in German, Umwelt Oder Waffen, translated as Weapons or the Environment, published in 1991. He was an early environmentalist. Hans shared his love of sailing, skiing, and mountaineering with family and friends. Many happy times were spent at the chalet in Saas Fee, Switzerland. He enjoyed playing and listening to classical music. He followed politics and world events and engaged in passionate discussions. He supported many humanitarian causes and efforts to promote world peace. He loved to travel and cherished his friends across the globe. In retirement, the company of his grandchildren gave him great pleasure. He had a good sense of humor and his antics were known to embarrass his family. Hans was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Johanne, in 2011. He is survived by his 3 younger brothers, Georg, Christoph, and Markus in Switzerland. In the United States, he is survived by his children Kirsten (Joseph Schafer), Lucas, Katharine (Frank Bryan), and Elizabeth. And he is survived by grandchildren Jesse Seidman (Holly), Isabel Suhr, Christoph Suhr, Felix Bryan and great grandchildren Nicholas Seidman and Ella Seidman. The family is grateful to Monica Mwaura and Bashiru Kabbae for their skillful caregiving and companionship to Hans during his last years. A family memorial celebration is planned for spring 2022. Memorial contributions may be made to earthjustice.org.
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