Katy Karrenbauer: Her Heartfelt Farewell to Father Dieter
Farewell given to the father by daughter - Bid farewell to her dad she did.
Katy Karrenbauer, 62, shared a poignant message on Facebook on May 23, 2025, as she bid her father Dieter farewell. In an interview with RTL.de, she speaks candidly about his passing at the age of 93.
A sense of foreboding had been hanging over Dieter weeks prior. "Katy, I think I'm going to die. You know, my body, I think, has no strength left to participate in life," he confided, despite battling dementia. Yet, even in the throes of this condition, he had moments of clarity.
Dieter held a dream close to his heart – celebrating his 93rd birthday on May 12. With daughter Katy and a handful of friends, he accomplished this milestone, as captured in her Facebook post. One heartwarming moment shows her father singing to an old tune.
One week before his death, Katy recalled him asking, "Dad said to me a week before his death, 'I have to go, Katy, are you okay with that?'" Despite the solemnity of the situation, she replied, "Yes, Dad, I'm okay with that."
In the wee hours of May 23, Dieter passed away. Katy was by his side, ensuring his wishes to avoid life-sustaining machines were granted.
Katy and Dieter had been estranged for 50 years before reconnecting in 2018. Their separation occurred during her childhood when her parents split. His former partner reached out before she succumbed to cancer seven years ago. Katy brought her father from Duisburg to live with her in Berlin. A profound experience with her ailing father inspired her to pen the book, "I Wanted a Dog - Now I Have a Father," detailing their journey together.
Katy, a German actress, may have other works or projects related to dementia. However, without specific details, it's challenging to provide further insight. If you have more context or seek information about dementia-centric books or her career, don't hesitate to ask.
- Katy Karrenbauer, a German actress with a background in dementia-related works, might be working on projects that address mental health in aging, given her personal experience with her father's battle against the condition.
- As Katy's father, Dieter, was aware of his own deteriorating mental health during his later years, he expressed his desire for improving family-health and mental-health awareness, which could be a reference to his cooperation with Katy in health-and-wellness initiatives tied to his own experiences.
- Despite Dieter's passing, Katy, staying true to their bond, continues to advocate for family health and mental health, hopefully using the lessons she learned from her father during their journey together to further her work in these areas, thus maintaining his dream in a different form.
