Werner Otto Bieber, 66, of Perryville, MD, died Saturday, November 12, 2005, at Harford Memorial Hospital, Havre de Grace, MD.
Born on June 16, 1939, in Altona, Germany, he was the son of Lissi Bordewieck Bieber, Levittown, PA, and the late Helmut Bieber. Mr. Bieber served in the U.S. Navy. He retired as a Chief Petty Officer-Navigator from the US Navy submarine force in 1976. He had also worked at the Tidewater Marina, Havre de Grace, MD and the Furnace Bay Golf Course, Perryville, MD.
Mr. Bieber came to Havre de Grace to continue his lifelong love of the sea and sailing. He worked as a sailmaker and then spent 17 years working in the yard at the Tidewater Marina where you usually see him in a straw hat. His other passion was golf. He was a part-time mower at the Furnace Bay Golf Course where he frequently played and won first place in the Senior Golf League. In order to extend the season, he and his wife wintered in Boca Raton, FL. He was a member of Susquehanna American Legion Post No. 135, Perryville, MD, a life member of the VFW Post No. 6027, North East, MD and other memberships include the Fleet Reserves, Annapolis, MD and USGA.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Bieber is survived by his wife, Wendy Kramer of Perryville, MD; sister, Helga White of Levittown, PA, and two nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Fleet Reserve Association Headquarters.
After meeting your sweet wife, I wish I had known you. It is an honor for us to secure your Navy Honors, burial at sea from a warship, for your service in the Elite Submarine service of our Navy.
Jim Rudolph, President
Veterans Funeral Care
It is with sadness that I read in the last newsletter that Werner Bieber (QM ’59-’61) has joined our other shipmates who are on eternal patrol.
Werner was what we called “a good sailor” in the finest meaning of the term. Werner and I were assigned to the Bang just about the same time, both of us unqualified E-3s, and, as it was quickly apparent that qualified or not, Werner was the best helmsman on the boat; he was assigned as the maneuvering watch helmsman. I was one of the maneuvering watch lookouts, so I had a front row view of the following.
We were shifting upstream from a pier at New London to a floating dry-dock so we could sandblast our hull but because of a shift in the current of the Thames, plus a strong wind, what should have been an easy change became a nightmare. As we tried again and again to get into the dry-dock, Captain Brumstead took the conn and it was a mile-a-minute stream of orders from the bridge. “All ahead full! All back full!Rudder amidships! Left full rudder, Port ahead full, starboard back one third! Steady as she goes!” This went on for about a half an hour. Once in a while, Werner would shout to the bridge “Headway or Sternway?” and if sternway, he’d use the rudder in reverse to keep the ship’s head as ordered. Finally we were in the dry-dock and the lines were secure. Captain Brumstead passed the word on the 1MC, “Secure the engines. Secure the maneuvering watch. Set the in-port watch. Maneuvering, this is the Captain, Well Done.” Then, still on the 1MC, “Bieber, get up to the Bridge!” Werner climbed up to the Bridge and Captain Brumstead shook his hand and said: “Well done, Bieber.”
I tell you, no helmsman in the fleet could have done a better job.”
I was sorry to see Werner Bieber’s name added to the list of those on “eternal patrol”. He was a good person back then and I’m sure continued to be throughout life.