Wenn du bei Nacht den Himmel anschaust, wird es dir sein,
als lachten alle Sterne,
weil ich auf einem von ihnen wohne,
weil ich auf einem von ihnen lache.
Du allein wirst Sterne haben,
die lachen können!
Ralle‘s Trauerfeier findet am 09.12.25 in Gronau statt.
Mir wird Dein Humor und Dein Lachen sowie Deine Herzlichkeit, und auch unsere Duelle im Wasser, fehlen.
Du warst, um es mit der Berliner Schnauze zu sagen, echt knorke und Du wirst mir immer als guter Freund in Erinnerung bleiben.
Mach et jut Ralle
Lieber Ralle – unfassbar und Deine Reise hinter den Horizont kommt definitiv zu früh. Vergesse die unfassbaren Masterturniere mit Dir und den Mobys never ever. Die legendäre Masternacht in Cuenca mit Dir bleibt ebenso unvergessen. Lieber Ralle – wir sehen uns wieder. Ein sehr trauriger Kalle Pütz
Lieber Ralle, danke für die schöne Zeit zusammen im Wasser und außerhalb, für Deine Energie und Deine Lebensfreude. Viel zu früh endet das jetzt schon, und es tut mir so leid dass wir es die ganzen letzten Jahre nicht geschafft haben uns auch mal in Köln zu treffen. Mach es gut auf Deine Reise! Dein Marc
du warst ein großartiger Mensch, Sportler, Ehemann und Vater. Deine positive Art, selbst in den schwersten Zeiten, hat uns alle beeindruckt und inspiriert.
Liebe Patzi, liebe Kim,
ich wünsche euch von Herzen alle Kraft, die Erinnerungen an diesen wunderbaren Menschen zu bewahren und daraus Trost zu schöpfen.
Ralle, du wirst immer einen besonderen Platz in meinem Herzen haben.
Ralle – wenn ich an Dich denke, fällt mir sofort ein, wie wir in der Gartenstadt vor dem Haus Deiner Eltern zusammen an unseren ersten Autos geschraubt haben oder Deine erste Fahrt mit der „Dritten“ nach Hamburg,. Alles wunderbare Erinnerungen. Auch wenn wir uns in den letzten Jahren aus den Augen verloren haben, werde ich Dich immer in Erinnerung behalten.
Deinen Angehörigen wünsche ich Kraft und Stärke in dieser schweren Zeit …
Machs gut „Kleiner“ – Du warst ein ganz Großer !!!
ES IST WICHTIG SICH EINZUGESTEHEN – DAS DIE EIGENE STÄRKE GRENZEN HAT.
Ralle hat mit Patzi und Kim so gekämpft und doch verloren.
Wir Alle haben so viele schöne Stunden gemeinsam zusammen erlebt.
Es gibt bestimmt einen Wasserballstern, wo wir uns Alle wiedersehen.
Auch im Andenken, an die, die auf diesem Stern schon sind.
Christel und Kako.
Ralf – where do I even begin? The gentle giant.
I first met Ralf back in 2013 when he was at Cisco as a Marketing Engineer. Over time, he became not just a colleague but a true friend. He was full of life—radiating positivity in everything he did.
We spent countless hours together, late nights and weekends, building solutions and sharing laughter during client engagements. Ralf had this incredible ability to make every moment enjoyable. I honestly cannot recall a single time when he seemed unhappy or burdened. His love for traveling, good food, and embracing life was infectious.
Even now, I can see his smiling face so vividly, and it’s hard to accept that he’s gone. My heart goes out to his wife and daughter, his unwavering pillars of strength. He often said, “There’s nothing more important in life than my family.” I remember the joy in his voice when he called to tell me his daughter got into a good school in the U.S.—he was so excited about having more reasons to visit and reconnect with friends in Seattle, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
Ralf lived by a simple motto: be happy and make those around you happy. My friend, I will deeply miss our long chats and calls. May your soul rest in peace. If there’s a next life, I hope we meet again—this time from the very beginning—and grow old together.
Ralle,
wir werden uns immer an die schöne Zeit und an die tollen Erlebnisse mit dir erinnern.
Im Gedenken an Ralle.
Die Masterswasserballer Rieslingbären SC Neustadt/Weinstr.
Sprachlos. Erschüttert. Sehr sehr traurig.
ABER vor allem: Glücklich über die ganz vielen tollen gemeinsamen Momente und Erlebnisse, über dich als Freund.
Du wirst immer bei uns sein.
R.I.P. Birgit und Jürgen
Ralf you were more than a friend—you were a big brother to us. Over the past eight or nine years we collected a lifetime of memories.
Every time you came to Atlanta, you turned our house into your home, spending long, joyful hours with my family. I will always cherish celebrating our time together.
You inspired everyone around you with your warmth, humor and the way you truly lived—fully and with love. We will miss your laugh and your steady presence.
I can still hear you saying “nay nay,” that playful refrain that always made us smile and reminded us not to take life too seriously.
Thank you for your friendship and for the example of a life well lived.
Our hearts are with Patricia and Kim, and with everyone who loved you.
Hallo Ralle, du warst ein großartiger Mensch, wir haben uns auf vielen Wasserballturnieren getroffen, immer viel gelacht und rumgealbert und tolle Gespräche geführt.
Ich bin sprachlos und traurig.
Deiner Familie ganz viel Kraft in dieser schweren Zeit. Dort, wo du jetzt bist, geht es dir besser .
Ganz liebe Grüße aus Duisburg ( FSD)
Angela Dreier
Ralf, you were an inspiration and radiated infectious positive energy. Every conversation with you carried a feel-good factor that lifted everyone around you. I vividly remember the brilliant sketches you created to explain complex technical concepts with such clarity , they weren’t just helpful, they were a reflection of your creativity and passion. You brought joy and fun into everything you did, and that made a lasting impact on colleagues and customers alike. I miss you my friend. Rest in peace.
Ralf, your determination and spirit were evident in everything you did. You spoke often about your passion for water polo and how eager you were to return to the pool after surgery; you didn’t let obstacles define you.
I’ll always remember the brilliant discussions we had. Those meetings helped many of us see problems in new ways.
I’m grateful to have known you, and you’ll be deeply missed. Rest in peace
Ralf was an inspiration to me. He will be remembered for his larger than life presence and the warmth he brought into every interaction. I first met him over a decade ago at a conference and took an instant liking to him. When Microsoft decided to hire him, I still remember walking with him along the Kirkland waterfront, trying to convince him to join us. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “for you my friend, absolutely”.
When he visited our home in the US, he always arrived with pounds of Haribo for my daughter, and he often invited us to come visit him. I feel sad that we never had the chance to take him up on that.
I will remember Ralf as a friend, and I am grateful for the time we had with him.
Ralf, you were such a positive, full of life, vibrant person. Great colleague, one I could always go to for a trusted advice and discuss ideas. There were no impossible obstacles for you – you had this special, „Ralf“ way to make things fun and energize people. I will miss you deeply. Rest in peace!
Ralf was one of those folks whom you were eager to meet whether related to work or not. Never a dull conversation, always full of positive energy, always ready to get things done. You truly inspired me on staying positive and happy. We will definitely miss you. Rest in peace.
In a closed system no energy is ever lost. It only changes its form. So, my dear Ralf wherever you went there’s now a bright light shining, a lot of happiness and plenty of laughter. Ralf, your personality was contagious, so you were called to a place where your energy was missing.
When I think back to our encounters, there was indeed nothing we couldn’t and didn’t talk about. It is one of the privileges of life, having met somebody like you!
To his wife Patzi and his daughter Kim, who I never met in person, but got to know them through the love and respect Ralf showed for them in our conversations, I wish for a lot of strength for the next days, weeks and their future!
Ralf, you were not only the most innovative and passionate architect but also the great painter! Thanks again being a bottomless of passions and you were always surrounded by a lot of wows, smiles and laughter. Your legacy lives forever and rest in peace my friend.
You are one of those people that u meet once and it felt like I’ve known you for a long time and instantly become a great friend… I’ve enjoyed the time we had in Germany and all ur jokes and humor… I’m forever greatful for ur friendship… rest in peace brother…
First, I met Ralf in 2028, and we have been friends and then peers since then. Ralf will always be remembered for being creative, fun, and straight from the heart, a wonderful human being and a good friend. I worked with him on so many customer engagements and visits, and his positive energy was contagious. I will be missing him forever. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Ralf, it is an incredible privilege and blessing to be able to work with someone like you even once in a career. I have learned and benefitted so much from the years we worked together, and will always remember your cheerful nature, calm and confidence under even the most stressful and difficult situations, your creativity, integrity, and of course your incredible technical capability and talent. We were all fortunate to call you a friend and colleague, and are all forever diminished and saddened by your loss. We will always cherish memories of your friendship, and will miss you forever.
Our thoughts, sincerest prayers, and deepest condolences to your family,
manchmal hört man in der Arbeitswelt jeder sei ersetzbar. Das mag für die Position zutreffen, aber nicht für die Person.
Jeder Mensch ist einzigartig. Du warst etwas ganz Besonderes und eine große Bereicherung für unser Team. Dein KnowHow,
Dein Humor, Dein Engagement für die Kunden, Dein Teamgeist, Deine Fröhlichkeit, Deine Energie waren einfach unvergleichlich.
Du hinterlässt eine große Lücke, die man nicht füllen kann. Du wirst dem ganzen Team für immer in Erinnerung bleiben.
people say that at the end of our life’s journey, it’s not what we did that people remember, but how we made them feel. Ralfi, you always made me feel valued, welcomed, and truly included. I miss you my friend
First of all, to all the families and friends of Ralf, I am truly honoured to have known him. His laughter, optimism, and intelligence, was beyond others. He was unique and special. I am thankful to have met Ralf almost 8 years ago when he joined Microsoft, and we worked on many important projects together. I will miss his joyous optimism for life. Till we meet again Ralf.
Ralf was an exceptional engineer and a wonderful person—calm under pressure, always supportive and thoughtful. It was a privilege to work with him and learn from him. My sincere condolences. He will be greatly missed, both as a colleague and as a person.
So saddened by this and infuriated at the same time. Ralf was what a human being should be. Kind. Intelligent. Loving. Fun. I will miss him. I enjoyed working with him and then over the years enjoyed him as a friend. He was special. My condolences to his wife and his daughter who he was extremely proud of.
Like so many have shared this is deeply upsetting and will take time to process but I want to share the celebration of my experiences as a colleague as a friend, he was an amazing depth of knowledge, so easy to work with, always there to help , always positive, over the past 7+ years of knowing Ralf here at Microsoft he was always there to share his guidance and humor, it is always so deeply saddening when someone who has been a constant suddenly is taken. I will forever remember the friendship, guidance and sense of humility and everyone that knew him will I am sure agree that is a remarkable legacy. my thoughts are with you Patzi and Kimi, be proud of how many people around the world he touched and left this indelible memory
I met Ralph last year in Dallas, US and I instantly became a big fan of the way he lived his life. I still remember watching him whiteboard — it was unlike anything I had ever seen. He was a true artist. He carried a positive vibe and an energy that drew people to him effortlessly.
To Ralf’s family, first and foremost, thank you for sharing his infectious good humour and personality with those of us who worked with him at Microsoft.
I worked with Ralf starting back in ~2018, helping customers along the way, and Ralf was one of those rare experts in his field with absolutely no ego. He was happy to jump in and help any customer situation, and his depth of knowledge was extremely impressive. The even better part about working with Ralf was that he would never shy away from suggesting the simple solution to a challenge, rather than the complex and risky (but brilliant!) method!
Ralf is someone whom I look at and think to myself that I want to be more like him. I wish him peace, and I hope his family reads this and the other comments and knows that he had a profoundly positive effect on people from around the world. I miss him.
Troy Shane
Ottawa, Canada
Ralle lass es Dir dort wo Du jetzt gut gehen! Ich werde immer an unsere schönen Momente mit so viel Freude und Lachen zurückdenken!
Mach es gut!
Dein ehemaliger Moby Gunter
Mir wird Dein Humor und Dein Lachen sowie Deine Herzlichkeit, und auch unsere Duelle im Wasser, fehlen.
Du warst, um es mit der Berliner Schnauze zu sagen, echt knorke und Du wirst mir immer als guter Freund in Erinnerung bleiben.
Mach et jut Ralle
Lieber Ralle – unfassbar und Deine Reise hinter den Horizont kommt definitiv zu früh. Vergesse die unfassbaren Masterturniere mit Dir und den Mobys never ever. Die legendäre Masternacht in Cuenca mit Dir bleibt ebenso unvergessen. Lieber Ralle – wir sehen uns wieder. Ein sehr trauriger Kalle Pütz
Lieber Ralle, danke für die schöne Zeit zusammen im Wasser und außerhalb, für Deine Energie und Deine Lebensfreude. Viel zu früh endet das jetzt schon, und es tut mir so leid dass wir es die ganzen letzten Jahre nicht geschafft haben uns auch mal in Köln zu treffen. Mach es gut auf Deine Reise! Dein Marc
Lieber Ralle,
du warst ein großartiger Mensch, Sportler, Ehemann und Vater. Deine positive Art, selbst in den schwersten Zeiten, hat uns alle beeindruckt und inspiriert.
Liebe Patzi, liebe Kim,
ich wünsche euch von Herzen alle Kraft, die Erinnerungen an diesen wunderbaren Menschen zu bewahren und daraus Trost zu schöpfen.
Ralle, du wirst immer einen besonderen Platz in meinem Herzen haben.
In tiefer Anteilnahme
Rainer
Lieber Ralle,
Du bist ein großer Verlust für uns Alle. Wir werden Dich sehr vermissen!
Markus
Ralle – wenn ich an Dich denke, fällt mir sofort ein, wie wir in der Gartenstadt vor dem Haus Deiner Eltern zusammen an unseren ersten Autos geschraubt haben oder Deine erste Fahrt mit der „Dritten“ nach Hamburg,. Alles wunderbare Erinnerungen. Auch wenn wir uns in den letzten Jahren aus den Augen verloren haben, werde ich Dich immer in Erinnerung behalten.
Deinen Angehörigen wünsche ich Kraft und Stärke in dieser schweren Zeit …
Machs gut „Kleiner“ – Du warst ein ganz Großer !!!
ES IST WICHTIG SICH EINZUGESTEHEN – DAS DIE EIGENE STÄRKE GRENZEN HAT.
Ralle hat mit Patzi und Kim so gekämpft und doch verloren.
Wir Alle haben so viele schöne Stunden gemeinsam zusammen erlebt.
Es gibt bestimmt einen Wasserballstern, wo wir uns Alle wiedersehen.
Auch im Andenken, an die, die auf diesem Stern schon sind.
Christel und Kako.
Ralf – where do I even begin? The gentle giant.
I first met Ralf back in 2013 when he was at Cisco as a Marketing Engineer. Over time, he became not just a colleague but a true friend. He was full of life—radiating positivity in everything he did.
We spent countless hours together, late nights and weekends, building solutions and sharing laughter during client engagements. Ralf had this incredible ability to make every moment enjoyable. I honestly cannot recall a single time when he seemed unhappy or burdened. His love for traveling, good food, and embracing life was infectious.
Even now, I can see his smiling face so vividly, and it’s hard to accept that he’s gone. My heart goes out to his wife and daughter, his unwavering pillars of strength. He often said, “There’s nothing more important in life than my family.” I remember the joy in his voice when he called to tell me his daughter got into a good school in the U.S.—he was so excited about having more reasons to visit and reconnect with friends in Seattle, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
Ralf lived by a simple motto: be happy and make those around you happy. My friend, I will deeply miss our long chats and calls. May your soul rest in peace. If there’s a next life, I hope we meet again—this time from the very beginning—and grow old together.
Ralle,
wir werden uns immer an die schöne Zeit und an die tollen Erlebnisse mit dir erinnern.
Im Gedenken an Ralle.
Die Masterswasserballer Rieslingbären SC Neustadt/Weinstr.
Sprachlos. Erschüttert. Sehr sehr traurig.
ABER vor allem: Glücklich über die ganz vielen tollen gemeinsamen Momente und Erlebnisse, über dich als Freund.
Du wirst immer bei uns sein.
R.I.P. Birgit und Jürgen
Desde Pamplona, el equipo de Larraina Waterpolo masters, envía su pesar y tristeza por el fallecimiento de vuestro compañero. Fuerte abrazo
Ralf you were more than a friend—you were a big brother to us. Over the past eight or nine years we collected a lifetime of memories.
Every time you came to Atlanta, you turned our house into your home, spending long, joyful hours with my family. I will always cherish celebrating our time together.
You inspired everyone around you with your warmth, humor and the way you truly lived—fully and with love. We will miss your laugh and your steady presence.
I can still hear you saying “nay nay,” that playful refrain that always made us smile and reminded us not to take life too seriously.
Thank you for your friendship and for the example of a life well lived.
Our hearts are with Patricia and Kim, and with everyone who loved you.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
Hallo Ralle, du warst ein großartiger Mensch, wir haben uns auf vielen Wasserballturnieren getroffen, immer viel gelacht und rumgealbert und tolle Gespräche geführt.
Ich bin sprachlos und traurig.
Deiner Familie ganz viel Kraft in dieser schweren Zeit. Dort, wo du jetzt bist, geht es dir besser .
Ganz liebe Grüße aus Duisburg ( FSD)
Angela Dreier
Du musstest viel zu früh gehen, mögest Du nun in Frieden ruhen. Ich behalte Dich als einen freundlichen positiven Menschen in Erinnerung!
Ralf, you were an inspiration and radiated infectious positive energy. Every conversation with you carried a feel-good factor that lifted everyone around you. I vividly remember the brilliant sketches you created to explain complex technical concepts with such clarity , they weren’t just helpful, they were a reflection of your creativity and passion. You brought joy and fun into everything you did, and that made a lasting impact on colleagues and customers alike. I miss you my friend. Rest in peace.
Ralf, your determination and spirit were evident in everything you did. You spoke often about your passion for water polo and how eager you were to return to the pool after surgery; you didn’t let obstacles define you.
I’ll always remember the brilliant discussions we had. Those meetings helped many of us see problems in new ways.
I’m grateful to have known you, and you’ll be deeply missed. Rest in peace
Ralf was an inspiration to me. He will be remembered for his larger than life presence and the warmth he brought into every interaction. I first met him over a decade ago at a conference and took an instant liking to him. When Microsoft decided to hire him, I still remember walking with him along the Kirkland waterfront, trying to convince him to join us. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “for you my friend, absolutely”.
When he visited our home in the US, he always arrived with pounds of Haribo for my daughter, and he often invited us to come visit him. I feel sad that we never had the chance to take him up on that.
I will remember Ralf as a friend, and I am grateful for the time we had with him.
Ralf, you were such a positive, full of life, vibrant person. Great colleague, one I could always go to for a trusted advice and discuss ideas. There were no impossible obstacles for you – you had this special, „Ralf“ way to make things fun and energize people. I will miss you deeply. Rest in peace!
Ralf was one of those folks whom you were eager to meet whether related to work or not. Never a dull conversation, always full of positive energy, always ready to get things done. You truly inspired me on staying positive and happy. We will definitely miss you. Rest in peace.
In a closed system no energy is ever lost. It only changes its form. So, my dear Ralf wherever you went there’s now a bright light shining, a lot of happiness and plenty of laughter. Ralf, your personality was contagious, so you were called to a place where your energy was missing.
When I think back to our encounters, there was indeed nothing we couldn’t and didn’t talk about. It is one of the privileges of life, having met somebody like you!
To his wife Patzi and his daughter Kim, who I never met in person, but got to know them through the love and respect Ralf showed for them in our conversations, I wish for a lot of strength for the next days, weeks and their future!
Ralf, you were not only the most innovative and passionate architect but also the great painter! Thanks again being a bottomless of passions and you were always surrounded by a lot of wows, smiles and laughter. Your legacy lives forever and rest in peace my friend.
You are one of those people that u meet once and it felt like I’ve known you for a long time and instantly become a great friend… I’ve enjoyed the time we had in Germany and all ur jokes and humor… I’m forever greatful for ur friendship… rest in peace brother…
First, I met Ralf in 2028, and we have been friends and then peers since then. Ralf will always be remembered for being creative, fun, and straight from the heart, a wonderful human being and a good friend. I worked with him on so many customer engagements and visits, and his positive energy was contagious. I will be missing him forever. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Ralf, it is an incredible privilege and blessing to be able to work with someone like you even once in a career. I have learned and benefitted so much from the years we worked together, and will always remember your cheerful nature, calm and confidence under even the most stressful and difficult situations, your creativity, integrity, and of course your incredible technical capability and talent. We were all fortunate to call you a friend and colleague, and are all forever diminished and saddened by your loss. We will always cherish memories of your friendship, and will miss you forever.
Our thoughts, sincerest prayers, and deepest condolences to your family,
Andrew
Lieber Ralf,
manchmal hört man in der Arbeitswelt jeder sei ersetzbar. Das mag für die Position zutreffen, aber nicht für die Person.
Jeder Mensch ist einzigartig. Du warst etwas ganz Besonderes und eine große Bereicherung für unser Team. Dein KnowHow,
Dein Humor, Dein Engagement für die Kunden, Dein Teamgeist, Deine Fröhlichkeit, Deine Energie waren einfach unvergleichlich.
Du hinterlässt eine große Lücke, die man nicht füllen kann. Du wirst dem ganzen Team für immer in Erinnerung bleiben.
See you on the other side.
Dein Hermann
people say that at the end of our life’s journey, it’s not what we did that people remember, but how we made them feel. Ralfi, you always made me feel valued, welcomed, and truly included. I miss you my friend
Sincere condolence to the family
First of all, to all the families and friends of Ralf, I am truly honoured to have known him. His laughter, optimism, and intelligence, was beyond others. He was unique and special. I am thankful to have met Ralf almost 8 years ago when he joined Microsoft, and we worked on many important projects together. I will miss his joyous optimism for life. Till we meet again Ralf.
Ralf was an exceptional engineer and a wonderful person—calm under pressure, always supportive and thoughtful. It was a privilege to work with him and learn from him. My sincere condolences. He will be greatly missed, both as a colleague and as a person.
So saddened by this and infuriated at the same time. Ralf was what a human being should be. Kind. Intelligent. Loving. Fun. I will miss him. I enjoyed working with him and then over the years enjoyed him as a friend. He was special. My condolences to his wife and his daughter who he was extremely proud of.
Like so many have shared this is deeply upsetting and will take time to process but I want to share the celebration of my experiences as a colleague as a friend, he was an amazing depth of knowledge, so easy to work with, always there to help , always positive, over the past 7+ years of knowing Ralf here at Microsoft he was always there to share his guidance and humor, it is always so deeply saddening when someone who has been a constant suddenly is taken. I will forever remember the friendship, guidance and sense of humility and everyone that knew him will I am sure agree that is a remarkable legacy. my thoughts are with you Patzi and Kimi, be proud of how many people around the world he touched and left this indelible memory
I met Ralph last year in Dallas, US and I instantly became a big fan of the way he lived his life. I still remember watching him whiteboard — it was unlike anything I had ever seen. He was a true artist. He carried a positive vibe and an energy that drew people to him effortlessly.
Rest in peace, Ralph. You will be missed.
To Ralf’s family, first and foremost, thank you for sharing his infectious good humour and personality with those of us who worked with him at Microsoft.
I worked with Ralf starting back in ~2018, helping customers along the way, and Ralf was one of those rare experts in his field with absolutely no ego. He was happy to jump in and help any customer situation, and his depth of knowledge was extremely impressive. The even better part about working with Ralf was that he would never shy away from suggesting the simple solution to a challenge, rather than the complex and risky (but brilliant!) method!
Ralf is someone whom I look at and think to myself that I want to be more like him. I wish him peace, and I hope his family reads this and the other comments and knows that he had a profoundly positive effect on people from around the world. I miss him.
Troy Shane
Ottawa, Canada