Dr. Hans Brehm was welcomed into the arms of the Lord on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. He was surrounded by the love of his family and the serenity of the gardens and home he shared with his wife on Onancock Creek.
Hans was born in Tilsit, Germany, on Jan. 29, 1928, to the late Ernst Brehm and Magdalene Albrecht Brehm.
After graduating from medical school in Bonn, Germany, he became an exchange intern at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, N.J. It was there that he met and married the love of his life, Elaine, who was a student nurse.
Together, Hans and Elaine began a life filled with love, travel, family, and a shared dedication to his practice of medicine. Dr. Brehm served as chief of pediatrics for many years at Pocono Hospital in East Stroudsburg, Pa., where he was admired and respected for his devotion to the children in his care.
Hans and Elaine had three children, Kathleen, Kevin (Susan), and Christopher (Sharon), each of whom found success in their respective professions. Their much-loved grandchildren are Andrew Brehm; Matthew, Joshua, and Megan Heitman; Haley and Owen Brehm; Nicholas Murphy; and Ian Wiatric. Hans is also survived by four nieces and one nephew, as well as their families.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Dr. Renate Brehm-Scheier, and his brother, Dr. Burkhardt Brehm (Ilse).
Thinking they were retiring, Hans and Elaine moved to Onancock on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Only a few weeks passed before they were both working again — Hans as a pediatrician for Eastern Shore Rural Health and Elaine as a registered nurse with the Virginia Department of Health. Hans loved caring for children so much that he continued practicing medicine for another decade, retiring at the age of 72.
During their 68 years together, Hans and Elaine truly traveled the globe, enjoyed countless hobbies together, and reveled in the beauty of the life they created on Onancock Creek.
His was an amazing life of dedication, love, and accomplishment. A life well lived.
A memorial Mass will be held at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Onley on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m., with Father Michael Imperial officiating.
Contributions in memory of Dr. Hans Brehm may be made to St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, P.O. Box 860, Onley, VA 23418 (memo: Social Ministry).
Memory tributes may be shared at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
Arrangements are by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
