On the 13th of April 2026, my Oma (grandmother) passed away peacefully at the age of 94. Oma has had the single biggest influence on my life, and much of who I am is because of her. I respect and admire her more than anyone else, and I have idolised her my entire life. This newsletter is my personal tribute to my Oma.

My Oma’s Story

Born in what was Czechoslovakia in 1932, Oma moved to Munich with her family as a child and grew up enduring the atrocities of World War II Germany. My Opa (grandfather) was Polish and was working for the US army at the time when they met. As he wasn’t a German citizen, he couldn’t stay in Germany, so in 1950, they made the decision to move to Australia for better opportunities.

Opa and Oma packed a trunk each (Oma was 18 at the time), said goodbye to their families, and set sail for Australia without speaking a word of English. Five months later and separated on different ships, they landed in Fremantle, Western Australia. They found work in Adelaide and took the train across from Perth. Arriving in Adelaide with no money, they stayed in hostels for the first three years of their life there.

My Dad was born the following year, and with Opa working double shifts for three years in a sugar factory, they finally bought their own home. Oma started working too double shifts in a factory too, and they paid their house off within seven years. Like so many of their generation, what they achieved in such a short period of time through so much adversity was simply extraordinary.

The Post-War Generation

Opa and Oma were not alone. Many people set sail for different countries in search of greater opportunities at the time. Oma’s sister moved to the US. It would be many years before they saw each other again.

Hearing the stories from Oma has made me realise how lucky we really are. How much they sacrificed for the life we now live. How hard life really was for them. As Oma once said, “you wouldn’t have survived our life”. She’s right!

They built them tough back then. They endured so much and somehow still survived. That’s just what you did. You got on with life. We can learn so much from the generations before us. Resilience. Courage. Strength in the face of adversity. We need to make sure we don’t lose these traits in today’s modern world.

My Favourite Memories

My sister and I used to spend our school holidays at Oma’s house whilst Dad and Mum worked. She would take us to the movies, we would go tenpin bowling, and we would sleep over. We would wake up in the morning and make crepes for breakfast. We would bake German biscuits. We’d make our own cubby houses in the living room. My memories of my childhood with her are still some of my fondest memories to this day.

Oma was an amazing cook. We would go to her house every Monday night for dinner. She’d spend all day making schnitzels. People are often asked what their last meal on earth would be. Mine is Oma’s schnitzels. I’ve never had better. And she would make so many that we would go home with copious amounts of schnitzels for lunch the next day.

She loved to give. You couldn’t go to her house and not have something to eat or take food home with you. She was a true grandmother in every sense of the word. When Hafi and I were visiting her one day, Hafi mentioned that he really liked the biscuits she served him. Every single time we visited from then on, she had those biscuits waiting for him. That’s just who she was. She would often refer to us as “her boys”. And I couldn’t be prouder to be her boy.

The Lessons I’ve Learned

Family came first for Oma. We’re a small family, but we’re incredibly close. And her passing has made me realise this even more. My dad didn’t leave her beside for the last two weeks when she was unwell. I have even more admiration and respect for Dad after seeing the way he looked after her.

Oma taught me what it meant to be a family. You stick together. You don’t always see eye to eye, and you may argue at times, but you move on and treat each other with kindness and respect. She taught me how to love my family. How to be the leader of our family. She was our glue. We all looked up to her in awe. She’s going to be missed so much.

I’m Australian, but I have German heritage, and I’m bloody proud of it. I used to do Bavarian folk dancing as a kid, I grew up on German food, and Oma would talk to me in German (even though she knew I had no idea what she was saying). Culture is a really important part of who we are. We should embrace our culture where we can. There are so many lessons we can learn from our culture and from those who have come before us.

Finally, Oma taught me how to be generous. How to give unconditionally. Especially to her family. She would spend all day cooking for us, even if she was in pain. She would slip me money to pay for my flights home (and tell me not to tell Dad!) She was there for my dad whenever he needed her (my Opa passed away when Oma was 39 and Dad was 19). Dad said to me the other day that he would always go to Oma for advice. She was just like that. You could turn to her for anything. And she was always there for you.

Let’s Continue Their Legacy

I love my Oma more than words can describe. She really is my idol. She has inspired me so many times throughout my life. I know that I make her proud, but it’s also very important to me that I continue her legacy.

Which is why I want to say how grateful I am to you and your family. For supporting me and trusting me. For coming to me for answers about your health. For recommending me to those who you love the most. It means the world to me.

Oma was really proud that I’m a chiropractor. She would tell all of her friends. I want to continue to make her proud by serving you and your family as best as I can. I’ll always strive to help you in every way possible.

Whether it’s our grandparents, our parents or our friends, let’s continue the legacies of those who have passed. Let’s strive to constantly be better… and do better. Let’s remember to be kind. Let’s respect one another. Let’s be strong when we need to be. Let’s show courage when required. Let’s teach our kids these qualities. And let’s make them proud of who we have become.

Rest in peace Oma!