Spartanburg – Werner Dreher passed away on Friday, June 25, 2010 at the age of 66. He died of an ongoing battle with esophageal cancer. He was at home under the care of family and hospice.
Werner was born on January 14, 1944 in Winterthur-Toess, Switzerland. He was the son of the late Franz and Verena Dreher. He graduated in 1959 from Winterhur-Toess High School and went on to receive a degree in Mechanical Engineering and serve in the Swiss Army. Werner was married to Verena Rey on July 5th, 1969 in Winterthur. In 1969, Werner accepted employment with Sulzer Rueti as a Textile Engineer and traveled throughout Europe, America, Australia and numerous other countries, providing customer service in the textile area.
In 1970 he moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina for his work. Werner was a member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church. He was also an avid tennis player and enthusiast. Werner organized company tennis tournaments and developed many lasting friendships through the sport and the Spartanburg Athletic Club. He was also an active member of the Swiss-American Society and served as president in 1981. Werner loved sharing his heritage with others and talking to people about sports and anything and everything else that came to mind.
Mr. Dreher is survived by his wife Verena and daughter Corinne Porter of Valrico, FL. Corinne is married to Jacob Porter and has two sons, Garrett and Hayden. In addition there are many relatives still living in Switzerland and Germany. He was predeceased by his only sibling, Heidi Dreher.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Tuesday, June 29 at 4:00 pm in the main sanctuary to honor Werner’s life and remember how he touched the lives of those around him conducted by Pastor Mike Shackelford and Pastor Sean Miller. Following the service, a reception will be held in the Fellowship Hall.
Those desiring to, may make contributions to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 415 South Pine Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and all of those that participated in the care of Werner Dreher.
Dunbar Funeral Home
& Crematory
13 Condolences
Our condolence to you.
Dot & Urban
Dear Vreni and Connie,
We are sorry to hear about the passing of your beloved husband and father, Werner. We remember him fondly. Please accept our sincere condolences.
Jutta and Guido
of Tucson/Arizona
With sadness we heard from the passing away of Werner. We would like to express our condolences to Verna and Corinne and wish them strength at this difficult time.
I remember Werner for his loyality and dedication during my time at SulzerRüti in Spartanburg.
Karl and Beatriz Baggenstos
Wagen Switzerland 06.2010
Please accept my deepest condolences.
Regards, Nick M. Lischerong
I met with Mr. Dreher on several occasions and found him to be the kindest man. In spite of his disability and difficulty in conversing with people, I was able to truly see his gentle spirit. I helped him with insurance questions and he was always so appreciative of my assistance. I am glad Mr. Dreher considered me a friend. I know he will be greatly missed by those who knew him best.
Suzanne Page
Dear Vreni and Corinne,
We wish to express our sincere condolences. We want you to know, that Werner will be greatly missed and we share in your sadness.
With sympathy,
John & Rita Hasler
Dear Vreni and Corinne,
I wish to express my condolenses to you as so many others have. Werner had a kind soul and gentle heart, and he will be missed by all of us. I can hear him yelling “Hop Schwyz!” in the skies….
gaby
Dear Vreni,
May loving memories bring comfort to you at this time of sadness. With sympathy to you and your daughter.
Thildy Zollinger
Corinne –
I know that this has been a long and tough battle for your father and for the family that love him so dearly. I pray that you and your family will find comfort from God and in your father’s memories.
Debby Bridgeman
Dear Vreni and Corinne,
Please accept our sincere condolences. Werner was a dear friend and we will miss him.
We share in your sorrow.
Tina & Fredy Forster
Corinne-Sorry I couldn’t come yesterday had an appt w/orthodontist I couldn’t break. I am so glad we got to talk last week. I know God has provided you with comfort during this time. Just know he will continue to be there. I will be praying for you all. Much Love!
Dear Vreni and Corrine. I was so sorry to hear about Werner’s passing while we were away in Washington. We so much regret not being able to attend his memorial as we just returned home yesterday. Please know that your family and Werner have been in our thoughts and prayers often over the last weeks. We hope that you find peace knowing he is no longer suffering. He was a kind man. It was always a pleasure to be in his company. We hope that as the days and weeks turn into months and years that the happy, loving memories of your husband and father sustain you both. We will all miss him. Take Care, Patrick, Wendy, Emma and Elliott.
Dear Vreny and Corinne,
It was with great sadness that we had to learn of the passing of a loving husband and father after returning from a trip to Washington, DC. Please accept our sincere Sympathy. May you find strength and faith to overcome this loss and may God keep you in the palm of his hands to make every day a little easier. We are thinking of you and most certainly we will keep the memories of Werner and his kindness in our thoughts. With our warmest wishes of encouragement and heartfelt thoughts, fondly, yours,
Kathy and Luciano Cont