Stefan Hefner, 87, passed away on Tuesday, September 11 at Ascension All Saints Hospital. He was born in Katymar, Hungary on August 11, 1931, the son of the late Mathias and Magdalena (Nee: Mann) Hefner and immigrated to Racine in 1952.
On Sept 19, 1953 at Sacred Heart Parish he was united in marriage to Audenia Ebinal. Stefan was employed as a pattern maker at Wisconsin Pattern and other pattern shops in Racine and Milwaukee for over 40 years, retiring as owner of American Pattern.
He was a longtime member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and St. Paul the Apostle. He joined the Racine German Club soon after he arrived in Racine. He was an avid soccer fan and was very involved with the German Club soccer team; first as a player and then as manager and president. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009 for his many contributions to the sport. Stefan also enjoyed woodworking but most of all spending time with his family. He will be dearly missed.
Surviving are his loving wife of 65 years, Audenia; children, Margaret Welniak, Bernard Hefner, Katherine (Andrew) Simanek; grandchildren, Ryan Welniak, Lacey Hefner, Stefan Hefner, Bernard Hefner, Kayla Simanek, and Alexa Simanek; great grandchildren, Landon and Dawson Welniak; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Barbara Ebinal, Mary (Jerry) Pusch, Rosa Flegel, Kate Paunert, Georg Ebinal and Leo Ebinal; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends both here and in Germany. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Richard Welniak.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, September 17, 2018, 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, with Father Steve Varghese officiating. Entombment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, Hwy 32. Relatives and friends may meet Sunday at the funeral home from 4 p.m til 6 p.m. and on Monday at the church from 10 a.m. until time of Mass. Memorials to the family have been suggested.