Hans Gregor Steinmann

As we move through this period of deep sadness, his wife, a large immediate and extended family and a number of loving friends and valued work colleagues deeply mourn the passing into eternal rest by Hans G. Steinmann while at home on February 8, 2014 after a lengthy illness. Throughout his suffering with cancer, Hans endured the illness with the quiet strength, personal perseverance and unfaltering love for his wife of 36 years, Hannelore. Despite the knowledge of his terminal condition, Hans continued to lavish his love and attention on his children and their families. His daughter Heidi and her husband Robert and children Becker and Rylan; sons Gregor and wife Robin and children Bergen and Eric; Lance and wife Lili and children Annaliese and Kaitlyn; and, Kristan and wife Kristen and children Aiden, Hunter and Kaia continued to bring many pleasures into his life. Hans family, here and in his homeland of Switzerland, brothers Kurt and Heinz and sisters Edith, Isabella and Toni and more than 40 nieces and nephews always enjoyed a long life of sharing mutual pleasures and love. Hans lived a very rich and fulfilling life with many personal and professional achievements that truly marked him as a leader of men and a very successful business in the field of structural engineering for more than 50 years, retiring as the President and principal owner of King, Benioff, Steinmann and King. Although he devoted considerable time and talent to the success of KBSK, Hans also exhibited highly successful leadership skills while participating in the family management of general operations and ski school manager for Holiday Hills resort in Wrightwood, Californiawhere he met, courted and later married Hannelore. Hans father established Holiday Hills in 1948 and in 1959 relinquished the resort management to his sons Heinz, Kurt and Hans. Although Heinz assumed full operational management in 1962, Hans continued management of the ski school for nearly 30 years until it was sold to a management group that renamed the resort property as Mountain High East. Throughout his management of the ski school, Hans was active and maintained certification in the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the Far West Ski Instructors Association, often presenting seminars and training session for both organizations. Hans also owned and raced a number of thoroughbred horses that competed and won a variety of local track races. In his spare time he focused on golf, recording two lifetime holes-in-one that are documented by the World Golf Hall of Fame. All of these personal and professional achievements were accomplished with the mutual support and undying love of his wife and partner, Hannelore. Hans began his professional development at an early age when he designed the family home in Switzerland at age 13. After reaching age 19, Hans helped his father build a five-story family residence. He then continued to mark his achievements by graduating with a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich Switzerland in 1949one of Europes most prestigious universities. ETH is well-known for its excellent education, groundbreaking fundamental research and for implementing its results directly into practice. ETH is an important member of the 90-country Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESEAR), a conference of 90 countries. Its successful students come from more than 100 countries of the world. Hans also continued educational endeavors through lifelong learning endeavors at UCLA and USC over a period of more than 40 years, as well as being an active participant in professional organization conferences and workshops. Hans was very proud of his obligatory military service in Switzerland. His success in work endeavors, physical requirements and leadership were evident in his rapid promotion to become one of the youngest military officers of the Swiss Army. Hans served with distinction as a cavalry and artillery officer during his brief military career. After immigrating to the United States, Hans worked for McKeague and Associates in Honolulu, Hawaii and Ammann and Whitney in New York City before joining KBSK in 1954. He was named President and principal owner in 1966. Not only was the firm successful in the construction of many projects with the US Navy; major film studios (Universal, Warner Studios, CBS, Burbank, Columbia and Paramount Studios); banks (Bank of America Headquarters in Los Angeles); churches (Holy Rosary Church in Pacoima, St. Marks Lutheran Church in Encinitas, and Bethel Lutheran Church in Encino); hospitals (Valley Presbyterian in Van Nuys); and schools (the Administration Building of LA Unified, Alfred Nobel Junior High School, El Camino Real High School, the Engineering Building at the University of California Santa Barbara as well as serving as the prime design professional or structural consultant to schools and facilities design teams for more than 125 projects); but KBSK also created such landmarks as the US Federal Building in Westwood, the Tupperware International Headquarters in Orlando Florida, the unique inverted boat-shaped Henrys Restaurant in Pomona, the Safeway Distribution Center in Santa Fe Springs, the Sheraton Universal Hotel as well as buildings and exterior facilities for the Los Angeles County Fair Association along with many other projects. Hans also dedicated himself to the continued professional development of his colleagues by his selfless service in organizations such as The Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (serving in a variety of leadership positions, including President in 1978-79) and California; American Society of Civil Engineers; American Concrete Institute (President 1990-91); American Consulting Engineers Association; Coalition for Adequate School Housing, and California Association of School Business Officials. Hans was appointed and served with distinction as a member of the Los Angeles County Building and Safety Department Appeals Board beginning in 1985. Hans and Hannelore developed and fervently maintained a bond of mutual respect, love and commitment to one another. Although Hans has preceded us in death, all the members of his immediate, extended family and all of his close friends and respected colleagues will always continue to respect and appreciate Hans as a person and a consummate professional. We will share the fond memoriesbut we can also contemplate the inner strength of character, the appreciation of quality in all aspects of his life and the respect for quiet confidence. This we can do when we are able to see and appreciate his life workboth as a man of principal and ethics and his professional endeavors that will serve as a physical reminder of his professional achievements. Memorial services for Hans G. Steinmann will be held on March 15, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, located at 975 Lark Road, Wrightwood, CA 92329. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made in Hans name to St. Josephs Hospital Foundation Cancer Services, 1100 W. Stewart Drive, Orange, CA 92868.