Rolf H. Offschanka

Rolf H. Offschanka, 91, of Newark Delaware, passed away on June 30, 2025.  Born in Hamburg, Germany on November 29, 1933, he was the son of the late Hermann and Herta Offschanka, and brother of Georg Offschanka.

Rolf was six years old when he began to attend school at the onset of World War II, an event which greatly impacted his life.  He was twelve years old when the war ended, and at the age of fourteen, he started his apprenticeship as a ships carpenter while holding a full-time job.  He was seventeen when he received his diploma and became a full-fledged mechanic.

In 1954, Rolf and his parents embarked on the MS Stockholm and made the arduous journey to America, arriving in Brooklyn, New York.  He was drafted into the US Army and honorably discharged two years later as a corporal. In 1959, he proudly became a US Citizen. 

After his service, he settled in New York, where he met the young lady who became his loving wife of 63 years, Alma Meditz.  Their early years in New York brought on wonderful memories of times shared with extended family and friends, which he treasured for the rest of his life.

Rolf and Alma eventually moved and made their home in Newark, Delaware, where they raised their children Monika, Lisa and Rolf.  He worked as a carpenter for his entire career and eventually retired after 18 years with Amtrak.  As a longtime member of the Delaware Saengerbund, he coached and managed the soccer program for decades, bartended, served in multiple committees, loved to dance and sing, and volunteered every year at the Oktoberfest with his family.

Rolf’s life was defined by his deeply rooted passion for the “Beautiful Game”, soccer.  He coached his son from youth to adulthood, never missing a single game.  In fact, even in his later years, he could still remember every goal, every penalty kick, and the score of every one of those games.  Coach Rolf trained and mentored countless boys and girls in the community for over 45 years, helping them become not only better players but also better individuals. Over the years, everywhere he went, there was always someone that would recognize him and stop to say hello. He was an avid supporter of the Deutscher Fussball-Bund (the German National Soccer Team), the German Bundesliga and more recently, the Philadelphia Union.  He truly was the happiest sitting on the sidelines of a soccer field watching a game – any game.  In his later years, you could find him attending soccer games, day or night, at Banning Park, Kirkwood, UD, Goldey Beacom, Wilmington University, or at his grandchildren’s games with the DFC.

Rolf truly embodied the American Dream.  While his early years in the Old Country were marked by the hardships of poverty and war, his life in the US unfolded rich with experiences and the comfort eventually brought on by his lifelong hard work.  Of his many blessings, however, truly none was greater than the love he shared with his wife and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Rolf is survived by his wife Alma, and his children Monika (Mark), Lisa (Allen) and Rolf (Isabel).  He is also survived by his grandchildren and step grandchildren Dustin (Nicole), Darin (Austine), Doug (Brittany), Cory (Ashley), Brandon (Katherine), Alyssa (Matt), Tyler, Giselle, and Rolfi, and his great-grandchildren and step great-grandchildren Joshua, Sydney, Sadie, Kayden, Nash, Otto, Franklin, Kohen, and an eagerly anticipated new great-granddaughter due in August. 

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the doctors, nurses and staff at the Christiana Hospital Center for Heart and Vascular Health, who helped take care of our beloved Opa in his last days, and the staff and friends at Millcroft Living, where he resided for the past year.

Family and friends are invited to visit the Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808 on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 from 4:30PM to 6:30PM. Private entombment will be in Delaware Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Rolf’s name can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or visit www.stjude.org.

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