Stuttgart garrison mourns loss of public works employee


Klaas Dormeyer, a 34-year U.S. Army local national employee, died May 30 from an undisclosed illness. He was 56. Stuttgart community members will gather June 14 at 2 p.m. in the Panzer Kaserne Chapel to reflect and remember their friend and colleague. From 1978 to 1995, Dormeyer belonged to an engineer construction unit in the German Civilian Labor Group system in support of VII Corps. Dormeyer’s unit de-activated in 1995, at which time he was hired as a civilian employee for Area Support Team,  Garmisch.

In 2000, Dormeyer accepted a position in Stuttgart. Most recently he served as the chief of the DPW Contract Management Branch and the Contracting Officer’s Representative for the base maintenance contract.

In this capacity, Dormeyer oversaw the maintenance and repair of all U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart buildings, structures, grounds and utilities. To those who were aware that Dormeyer had battled his illness for years, his death still leaves a void.

“We all knew that Klaas had suffered for a long time, but when I was told that he had passed away, I felt sad and thoughtful,” said Karl-Heinz Müller, the director of logistics for the garrison.  

Müller, who knew Dormeyer for 20 years, said he was extremely dependable.
“With his common sense approach and his dedication to duty, he was always ready to support this community and its customers. The DOL team will remember Klaas as a partner and team player who focused on getting the job done,” Müller said.
The sentiment was mirrored by his DPW coworkers.

“He was such a dependable guy,” said Rudi Detlefson. “He was a good example for his employees … very competent and diligent in his duties. As a person, he was always friendly … never in a bad mood.” Dormeyer is survived by his wife, Christine, a son and two daughters. A private funeral was held June 11 in Sindelfingen.