Obituary of Ludwig Hermann Eberl

Ludwig Hermann Eberl

July 9, 1933 – December 15, 2023

Ludwig “Lou” Hermann Eberl, aged 90, of McLean, VA, passed away suddenly of natural causes on December 15, 2023.

Ludwig is survived by his daughter, Alicia Eberl-Lefko, his son-in-law, Andrew Lefko, and his two grandchildren, Cole and Sasha, of Annandale, VA. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Ludwig was predeceased by his wife, Anne Margaret Gaynor, whom he married on June 1, 1968. They shared a fulfilled life together for 49 years before her passing on September 4, 2017.

Ludwig was born on July 9, 1933 in Traunstein, Germany to Ludwig Eberl and Theresa Pointner. Ludwig emigrated to the United States at age 17 in July 1951 on the RMS Queen Mary. Raised in the family trade of cabinetmaking back in Germany, Ludwig quickly found steady work as cabinetmaker in Brooklyn, New York, while he continued his education in the United States. In 1956, he graduated from Fort Greene Evening High School and also became an American citizen. Following service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Fort Huachuca in Arizona between 1957-1959, Ludwig earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1962 while serving in the Army reserves.

Ludwig worked for numerous companies as an electrical engineer for nearly 40 years, including Western Union, Norden, ITT, Alcatel, Timeplex, and Symbol. Ludwig often traveled internationally for work, as he became an expert in international telecommunication engineering standards and regulations. He and his wife often spoke fondly of the time they spent living in New Delhi, India, in the early 1970s due to an extended work assignment.

In addition to having a successful career, Ludwig was a loving husband, father and grandfather, an avid stamp and coin collector, an adventurous chef, a lover of nature and the outdoors, an active genealogist and memoirist, a fan of anything on public television, and always game for a road trip. He was particularly proud of the custom home he built in Connecticut for his family, serving as the general contractor and putting his woodworking skills to the test. Although Ludwig lived in Virginia for the past 18 years, he lived most of his adult life in the New York City metropolitan area, considering Fairfield County, Connecticut his home.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Capital Caring Health, Inova Health Foundation, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, a local animal rescue or another charity of your choice.