Monika Kienzle

The staff of Heishman Funeral Home Inc., Heishman Funeral Service sends condolences to the family of Monika Kienzle Monika Kienzle (born Monika Ingrid Marianna Steinhorst) passed away on Friday, July 3, 2026 at her home in the mountains of Basye, Virginia at the age of 84. Monika was born on January 19, 1942 in Berlin, Germany in the midst of WWII to Hans Werner and Carmen Senta Ingeborg Steinhorst. With her father deployed to the war effort, Monika relied solely on her mother to provide for her, including times when Carmen had to dash into the streets between air raid bombings to find food for her and Monika. Her father died shortly after the war from tuberculosis he contracted while on the French front. Her mother later remarried to Alfred Gade. After graduating second in her class from the Humbolt School, Monika attended the Free University of Berlin where she studied economics. She would continue to maintain a lifelong passion for being mindful and creative with money, as she would later learn how to run a household budget for her large, travelling family, work in a credit union, and thoughtfully establish a savings account on the birth of every grandchild. She met her future husband, Don Kienzle, at the U.S. Officers Club in Berlin on November 3, 1962. They then wed on June 23, 1964. Soon after, they began what would become a foreign service career-long, 8-city tour over more than 20 years as they grew and moved their family from Melbourne, Australia to Moscow, USSR, then to Washington, D.C., and then back to Berlin, Germany, then on to Boston/Cape Cod, Massachusetts, then briefly to Washington, D.C., then to Bangkok, Thailand and on to Copenhagen, Denmark to Tel Aviv, Israel and finally back again to Washington, D.C., moving into their home in Arlington, Virginia. In each of these countries, Monika picked up some of the language, found schools and activities for her children, and learned how to manage a busy household in completely new places each time. She also enjoyed taking short excursions in each country (often with several children in tow) to learn more of its history, culture, and its people. Monika was an avid listener who enjoyed hearing people’s stories, whether it be mingling at a church coffee hour, volunteering at Mt. Jackson’s thrift shop, or maintaining lifelong correspondences with her school friends. She also was dedicated to sending heartfelt cards for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and the holidays to her family and friends spread around the world. Monika had a huge place in her heart for animals, feeding not only birds but squirrels, adopting cats from shelters (Murtzel, Katerle and Herbie) or her own backyard (Mazel and Dusty), caring for a goldfish (Plato) and nurturing a hamster (Houdini, named for his amazing talent to disappear from his cage). Monika carefully collected over 40 years of Danish Christmas plates, a pursuit she began while living in Denmark. She also enjoyed doing craft work including crocheting, knitting, blowing out eggs for Easter decorating, cutting out paper decorations, and sewing Halloween costumes. Many of these crafts she enjoyed doing with her grandchildren, of which she had a heart-swelling twelve (Grant, Andrew, Owen, Katelyn, Chloe, Jonathan, Alex, Elsie, Micah, Nate, Emmy, and Matt). In addition to all of her grandchildren, Monika is survived by her husband, Don; and by her five children and their spouses: Trevor and Mary Katherine; Darrell and Elena; Tanya and Derek; Brian and Kelly; and Keith and Jenny. She is also survived by her first granddaughter-in-law, Greyson. A memorial service for Monika will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 11:00 am at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Basye, Virginia (319 Orkney Grade) followed by an interment of the ashes in the church cemetery. Afterwards, guests are welcome to attend a reception in the Fellowship Hall. The family would like to express their deepest, heartfelt gratitude to Mary Tisinger (with the company, Home Instead) for her practical wisdom, loving dedication, and unrelenting support for Monika in her final phase of life. Her contributions to Monika’s happiness and comfort were invaluable. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made in memory of Monika to the Lutheran World Relief (give.lwr.org) so that Monika’s acts of kindness can continue to be felt in this world. Arrangements are in the care of Heishman Funeral Home Inc., Heishman Funeral Service Branch, Woodstock.

Monika Kienzle

January 19, 1942 - July 3, 2026