Obituaries from the «Zuger Zeitung», March 3rd, 2026
March 3rd, 2026 - Family Behrendt
March 5th, 2026 - Roche
Farewell Speech for Eike Behrendt
Dear Christiane, Dear Lennart, Dear Julia, Dear Family, Friends, Colleagues, and Companions of Eike,
We gather today in this beautiful place on Lake Zug to say farewell to a person with whom we all feel connected in our own way. It is Eike himself who brings us together here today. His life circle closed on February 21, 2026. Eike, who spent a lot of his life concerned with the topic of longevity—what one can do to live healthier and longer. He, who followed many of these practices and encouraged others to do the same, was completely unexpectedly stopped short in the middle of his life by an illness and had to say goodbye to everything he held dear within a few weeks. And we all must say farewell to a person who was important and familiar to us.
‘As long as you love someone, the world is a little brighter, simply because that person exists.’
Song for Eike
English
The blue flame glowed beneath the wok of steel,
A master’s hand, creating the meal.
From ginger root to the perfect spice,
you never just cooked, but made it precise.
Analyzing the world, reading all you could find,
before you decided; taking your time.
Thirty minutes to brush, gleaming and bright,
before eight hours of sleep at night.
You wanted to live a century; the long, steady run
in the heart of your family - sister, wife and son.
Throughout all your life you played for the win,
A competitive drive for all games from deep within.
The baseline underneath your shoes,
or running for miles with friends you’d choose.
You cast out a line where the deep water flows,
the love of fishing, as everyone knows.
Or at the high-class table: What’s your signature dish?,
Savoring the moment—what else could you wish?
But the deck was stacked by a hidden hand,
A genetic turn you hadn't planned.
The unfairness of the "why" and "how,"
The hospital halls, where are you now?
Three months in a bed with palliative care,
You only asked is somebody there?
No wires, no walls, no long, drawn-out stay,
Just the warmth of your hand as I slip away….
© Michael E. Pierce
Deutsch
Das Blau der Flamme glühte unterm Wok aus Stahl,
Die Hand des Meisters zauberte das Mahl.
Vom Ingwer bis zur Würze, fein und klug,
Du kochtest nie nur einfach – Präzision war dein Zug.
Du hast die Welt seziert, gelesen, was du fandst,
Bevor du dich entschiedst, weil du Zeit dir nahmst.
Dreißig Minuten Zähneputzen, glänzend und hell,
Bevor acht Stunden Schlaf dich holten, nicht zu schnell.
Ein Jahrhundert war das Ziel, ein langer, steter Lauf,
Inmitten deiner Lieben blühtest du auf –
Schwester, Ehefrau und der eigene Sohn,
In ihrem Herzen fandest du den Lebenslohn.
Dein ganzes Leben lang spieltest du auf Sieg,
Ein Ehrgeiz, der tief aus deinem Inneren stieg.
Die Grundlinie fest unter deinen Schuh’n,
Oder meilenweit rennen, statt jemals zu ruh’n.
Du warfst die Leine aus, wo das tiefe Wasser fließt,
Die Liebe zum Fischen, die man an dir genießt.
Oder am edlen Tisch: „Was ist dein Meisterstück?“
Den Moment auskosten – was braucht es mehr zum Glück?
Doch das Schicksal hielt die Karten verdeckt,
Ein Fehler der Gene, in dir versteckt.
Die Ungerechtigkeit von „Wie“ und „Warum“,
In den Gängen der Klinik – wo bist du nun?
Drei Monate im Bett, Palliativ im kühlen Licht,
„Ist jemand da?“, mehr sagtest du nicht.
Keine Kabel, keine Wände, kein Zögern, kein Leid,
Nur die Wärme deiner Hand, während ich gleite in die Ewigkeit.
(frei übersetzt)
Obituary from the «Zuger Zeitung», April 15, 2026
Hünenberg See
On February 21, 2026, Eike Behrendt's life came to an unexpected end at the age of 58. A man deeply engaged with the topics of longevity and healthy living was tragically cut short by a brief but serious illness.
Raised in the Lower Saxon town of Weddingen, Germany, he was instilled in him by his parents with values such as tolerance, love, and trust. As a free spirit, he often clashed with others during his school years but found his true calling in his studies of the humanities. Eike Behrendt was a rational, analytical thinker who never remained superficial. His insatiable thirst for knowledge and his drive for continuous improvement led him to Roche in 2008, where he became a highly regarded coach, trainer, and facilitator.
He possessed the rare gift of understanding complex team structures and expressing uncomfortable truths with such respect that genuine growth became possible. was. In recent years, he gained the profound insight that empathy and love develop teams more sustainably than mere instruction—an attitude for which he was equally valued by clients and colleagues.
In 2020, he and his family moved to Hünenberg See. He quickly felt at home in Central Switzerland and enjoyed the community and nature—whether hiking on the Rigi, playing at the Hünenberg tennis club, or cooking for family and friends. He enjoyed life directly and authentically, an attitude he maintained until the very end. Especially in his final months, he was deeply moved to feel how firmly he and his family were already socially embedded and supported here.
His greatest happiness and pride, however, was his family. He and his wife Christiane had shared their lives since 2004. The birth of their son Lennart in 2012 marked a decisive turning point. Lennart was not only a gift for Eike but also a daily source of inspiration. Eike deeply enjoyed experiencing the world through the To rediscover his son's eyes, to nurture him, and to instill in him the values of freedom and intellectual curiosity that distinguished him.
In Lennart, he saw the future and the continuation of what was most important to him: an alert mind and a kind heart. Having to leave Christiane and, above all, Lennart so soon on his own was the hardest part of saying goodbye for Eike. But he left with the certainty that the roots he had planted together with Christiane were strong enough to carry Lennart through life.
Even in his final weeks in the hospital, he remained true to his role as a source of inspiration and took his leave at peace with his fate. He left his loved ones one last piece of advice to serve as a compass: &lquot;Invest in honest relationships, don't procrastinate, and understand: In the end, only love matters."
Eike Behrendt leaves a void that cannot be filled, but his light will continue to shine in the hearts of those who were privileged to experience his clarity.
The bereaved family
Viewpoint bench on Rigi Scheidegg
A Place of Remembrance
A memorial bench bearing Eike's name will be placed on Rigi Scheidegg, offering a fantastic view of the Swiss mountains. It is intended to be a place for lingering, mourning, and remembrance, but also a place to celebrate life—just as Eike would have.
The bench is expected to be installed in May, as soon as the ground conditions permit. We will inform you here as soon as the site is ready. To help you plan your visit, you will find information on how to get there, hiking trail information and a link to the webcam.
| Schedule : | KRÄBEL - RIGI SCHEIDEGG | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| every 30 minutes | ||||
| Departure Kräbel | 8:05 - 18:05 | 18:35 - 19:351 | ||
| Departure Rigi Scheidegg | 8:05 - 18:05 | 18:35 - 19:351 | ||
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1 Friday to Sunday as well as 14.05. (Ascension Day), 25.05. (Pentecost), 04.06. (Corpus Christi), 08.12. (Immaculate Conception) Revision (operation discontinued): 02. - 06. November & 09. - 13. November 2026 (weekend operation on 07. & 08. Nov.) | ||||