Northampton, MA – Adelheid von Goeler, dedicated mother, music teacher and nature lover, died December 22, 2025 in Northampton Massachusetts. She was 88.
Adelheid was born in Stuttgart Germany to Elisabeth (b. Kommerell) and Johannes Ulrich Gradmann. Her childhood in Ravensburg Germany was shaped by World War II and the post-war period which led her to grow up in times of scarcity and hardship. Adelheid’s family, ultimately returning to their hometown of Tübingen Germany, loved music, hiking (the Swabian Alps) and botany, passions she developed and maintained lifelong.
After high school, Adelheid completed an associate’s degree as a medical technician and loved microscopy. In Marburg Germany, she fell in love with physicist Schweickhard von Goeler while playing in a string quartet with him. They married in 1963 and one year later moved to New Jersey where ‘Schwick’ started post-doctoral studies at Princeton University. Little did they realize that they would value living in the United States so much that they would stay in America for the remainder of their years.
Adelheid was a devoted mother and pillar of the family, caring for her three young daughters while Schwick worked long hours. As her children got older, she taught cello and recorder. In addition she continued to play chamber music and joined multiple choral groups, especially loving baroque era music, and building friendships across many different musical communities. She was a passionate flower gardener and brought artistry to this and the many crafts and projects she engaged in. She loved being active, walking with friends and learning to row crew, a hobby she maintained even in retirement, skulling in the Connecticut river. She was a generous friend and neighbor and loving grandparent. In 2005 she and Schwick moved to Haydenville Massachusetts to be nearer to children and younger grandchildren. In 2013 she and Schwick celebrated 50 years of marriage. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, and ultimately managed this diagnosis with grace and courage.
Adelheid was predeceased by her husband, Schweickhard von Goeler and two of her four siblings. She is survived by daughter Hanna von Goeler, son-in-law Stanley Jones and grandchild Lucian Jones of Montclair, NJ; daughter Ruth von Goeler, son-in-law Kelly Slough and grandchildren Natalie and Brigitte Goeler-Slough of Northampton, MA; and daughter Dorothea von Goeler, son-in-law Peter Lindenauer and grandchildren Bix and Ursula von Goeler of Northampton, MA. She will be deeply missed.
Click here to sign the guest book or honor their memory with flowers, donations, or other heartfelt tributes