Friedhelm "Fritz" Josef Kestermann

Friedhelm “Fritz” Josef Kestermann, 60, of Schoppingen, Germany, Luray, VA and Alexandria, VA passed away on April 8th, 2019 after a valiant battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 38 years Joan Newton Kestermann, and his four children Joey Kestermann (Caitlin), Katie Kestermann Larrabee (Kevin), Andy Kestermann (Kathleen) and Tommy Kestermann (Chelsie). He was the greatest Papa to his 8 grandchildren, Cullen, Bennett, Wells, Tucker, Griffin, Eloise, Mabel, and WIlla, and was looking forward to meeting #9 this summer. He is also survived by his mother, Anna Kestermann, and his brothers Stefan and Andreas and their families. He is preceded in death by his father, Heinz Kestermann.

Outside of his family, his greatest loves were his tractor, motorcycle rides, a good song and a cold beer. He was well known for his boisterous laugh and mischievous smirk, cheering his children on from the top row of the bleachers, confidently standing behind the wheel of his boat, and always managing to pull out the most unexpected and thoughtful Christmas gifts - often in the form of a scavenger hunt.

When not teaching the grandkids how to ride dirtbikes, delivering the most solid one-liners, building things, or going on spontaneous adventures, Fritz could be found at his family’s business, Foreign Car Service. His lifelong love of cars, coupled with his ability to fix a problem before the full answer was clear, set him up to successfully continue his father’s dream of operating a repair shop alongside his brothers.

His greatest achievement was purchasing he and his wife’s property in Luray, Lindenberry Farm, and creating a play place for generations to come. He was never happier than being in his man shed, facilitating the flurry of activity and fun happening around him, or sitting on the front porch with Joan watching the sun rise over their mountain.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Triangle, VA at 11am on Thursday, April 11th. A visitation will be held prior to the mass at 10am. The burial will follow on Friday, April 12th at 2pm at Mt Zion Church of the Bretheran in Luray, VA .

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alexandria Seaport Foundation in his honor.

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