Annemarie H. Fonner

Annemarie H. (Schaefen) Fonner, of Norfolk, VA passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on October 24th. She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard C. Fonner; her mother Maria Schroder of Karlsruhe, Germany and a brother Horst Schroder of Karlsruhe, Germany. She leaves behind Thomas Fonner of Washington, DC, Lynda (Bill) Elkins of Hewett, West Virginia and Robin Fonner of Bethesda, Maryland. She was Oma to Steven Geere, April (Jay )Frazier , Christina ( Steve Dolin), and Billy Elkins. She also leaves behind many great grand-children and one great great-grand son.
Annemarie was born in Duisburg, Germany but grew up in Karlsruhe with her mother and brother. In 1958, she met a sailor from the States and started a family. After Richard passed away, Annemarie sold the home on Nansemond Circle and relocated to a condo within Nansemond by the Bay in Ocean View. There she began a new chapter in her life and became involved in the social settings of the building. She made many close friends and grew a second family in her new surroundings.
Annemarie was a long time member of the German European American Society of Va. In 1981, she received a degree in Accounting from Tidewater Community College. She belonged to the Christ Lutheran Church in Norfolk. Her hobbies included bowling, knitting and spending time with her German and American friends through various coffee klatches and dinner parties. She enjoyed swimming at the YMCA where she was a member of the Mermaid team and achieved her goal of swimming over 1,000 miles through the years. She volunteered at Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk in the PICU to give babies comfort in their time of need. Although Annemarie was German at heart, she was very proud of becoming a U.S. citizen and always supported of both of her countries. She was a good friend to many and could be counted upon to go the extra mile.
Later in life, she developed Alzheimer’s disease and moved in with Lynda’s family in West Virginia. While giving up her independence was a struggle, she was surrounded by family to support her during her last years. Through her decline, she still possessed glimpses of humor and wit and her. Her family is what she treasured the most. Mutta / Oma touched many lives and will be missed by many.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
There will be a celebration of Annemarie’s life at a future date.