Raimund Belgardt
February 24, 1935 - January 28, 2023
Obituary
Raimund Belgardt was born February 24, 1935 in Tolkemit, Germany (now Poland.) He was preceded in death by his three older siblings, Rudolf, Erwin and Maria, and his sister-in-law, Maria. In 1945, at the end of WWII, he was moved to Schmalkalden, East Germany. Then in 1952 he made his way to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, following some of his siblings who previously moved there. In 1959 he became a Canadian citizen.
Education was his drive and focus. He put himself through school and acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and Slavonic Studies at the University of British Columbia in 1960. He then went on to earn his Master and Doctorate degrees at the University of Washington.
In 1963, he married Ada Sara Morales. They moved to Los Angeles where he was an assistant professor at UCLA. L.A. is also where their first son, Raimund Leo, was born, in 1965. Then in 1967 he received a professorship at Michigan State University and they relocated to East Lansing, Michigan. In 1970 their second son, Ramiro Jerry, was born and in 1973 he became a U.S. Citizen.
One of dad’s loyalties was to Volkswagen. He purchased nothing but VWs and the family made a couple cross country trips in those cars, once down to Florida (defog isn’t working – everybody stop breathing) and another time all the way out to California, Seattle and Vancouver to visit family.
Dad was also drawn back to Germany several times. In 1973/74 and 1990/91 the entire family lived in Freiburg, where dad was the Director of the “Junior Year in Freiburg” study abroad program. In 1986 and 1996, he led the summer abroad students at the University in Mayen. Work was incredibly important to dad and it was with reluctance that he retired in 2005.
In 2010, he moved back to Seattle to live closer to his family, all of whom lived on the west coast. In retirement, dad learned to love the television. Dancing with the Stars and 60 Minutes became good friends of his. He had a stroke in December 2018 and lived in Adult Family Care the four years following that. He is survived by Ada, Ray (Carrie), Ramiro (Elizabeth), grandsons Charlie and Leo, sister-in-law, Magda and several nieces and nephews.
His funeral will be Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 11:00am at Saint Bernadette Parish, 1028 SW 128th St., Burien, WA 98146.
I am mourning for my old schoolfriend and colleage Raimund! Wolfgang
Dear Addy, Ray & Ramiro,
The Hillman Family is so sorry to have heard of Ray’s passing.
We are sending love and cherish our fond memories with you all.
May the angels have welcomed him home!