Monika Pia Andress

Monika-Pia Frederika Paulina Heep Andress, 79, died in the comfort of her home in Arizona on Wednesday, December 20th, 2017. She was born August 1, 1938 to Theodor Ludwig Heep and Hildegard Elma Methner Heep in Berlin, Germany. She was born in the height of war conflict in Germany. Her father chose not to join the war movement and instead was taken to a prison camp in the Soviet Union.  Monika, her older sister, and blind mother struggled to survive while moving from town to town during continual bombings.  Miraculously, her father escaped the prison camp and walked all the way back to Germany where he was reunited with his beloved family. After many years on a waiting list, the family was sponsored to immigrate to the United States. Monika left Germany at age 12. Entering through Canada, the family settled in Laguna Beach, California. Her father, a talented artist and photographer, exhibited his work in the Laguna Beach Art Festival for many years. Monika and Dagmar spent these middle years enjoying the freedom of the beach and creative enclave.  In their later years they would meet for lunch there and revisit these happy times. After her mother, Hildegard, passed away Theodore married Sigrid Merz.  They welcomed a son, Monika’s brother Siegfried, in 1959. Monika married Wolfgang Heckel and they welcomed a daughter, Vivian Monica, in 1956. Later, she married Vern R. Andress and they welcomed her second daughter, Kimberley Dawn, in 1961. The accomplishment she was most proud of was being a dedicated mother and grandma.She also enjoyed snow skiing, traveling, classical music and participating in marathons across Southern California, including completing the Los Angeles marathon twice.   She retired after working for over 40 years for the Adventist Healthcare System in various roles including Office Manager.  In 2007, she moved from Seal Beach, California to Show Low, Arizona to help raise her granddaughter.  She is survived by her sister, Dagmar Sorge, her brother, Siegfried Heep, her two daughters, Vivian Monica Voigt and Kimberley Dawn Andress-Robinson, and her two grandchildren, Tristan Lozano and Annika Robinson.  May she rest in harmonious peace.