Dr. Gerhard Klaus Bienek

Dr. Gerhard Klaus Bienek

HUNTSVILLE - Dr. Gerhard Klaus Bienek, 60, passed away Wednesday, October 22, 2003 as the result of an automobile accident. As a humble 16-year old boy who knew less than a handful of English words, Gerhard Klaus Bienek immigrated with his mother in 1960 from Germany to the USA. With a lot of faith in his heart and the hope for a good future in a free country, he married Rosemarie Edeltraud Beier, also a recent German immigrant, in the Logan Temple on April 29, 1963. With lots of tender, and sometimes a bit of tough love, they raised three fine, outstanding children: Klaus, Peter, and Diane who have been, and are, their pride and joy.

Through an iron will and tremendous effort, while raising three young children and caring and providing homes for two aging mothers, Dr. Gerhard Bienek earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1971, and his Ph.D. in Parasitology and Ecology in 1974, both at the University of Utah. He belonged to distinguished scientific societies like The American Society of Parasitology, Rocky Mountain Society of Parasitologists, Ecological Society of America, and the New York Academy of Science, to name a few. He was a published author of numerous biological science papers.

Working for government, industry, and universities at different times, Dr. Bienek worked as Ecological Parasitologist, Wildlife Biologist, Endangered Species Coordinator, and university professor in conducting and supervising studies on black bears, wild horses in the Utah desert, pollution, sewage treatment, rehabilitation of silver mines, among many others. Dr. Bienek's crowning work was the organization and supervision of a multi-million dollar, government funded study on the Artic Right Whale. He also was instrumental in gaining funding for the Eskimos to record their history. He also led a number of university students on an Arctic expedition.

Dr. Bienek was a faithful member and high priest in the LDS faith. Together with his wife, he dedicated the last few years to the successful search for thousands of his ancestors and took great satisfaction in finishing a hardcopy of these Family History books the day before his untimely death through a car accident.

Surviving are his wife, Rosemarie Edeltraud Beier Bienek, Huntsville; Klaus Gerhard Bienek, Huntsville; Peter Ralph Bienek, Huntsville; Dr. Diane Rose Bienek, Lindenhurst, IL; Also surviving are one brother, Werner Bienek and his wife, Lotte of Alberta, Canada; and one sister, Anneliese Ingrid Bienek of Salt Lake City.
ServiceMiddleton Ward Chapel

Huntsville, UT
October 25, 2003
11:00 AM
CemeteryHuntsville Cemetery
End of Cemetery Point, West of 100 South
Huntsville, UT 84317
October 25, 2003