Anita Quandt Hand, age 85, daughter of Everett and Jonnie Quandt, of Decherd, Tennessee, died peacefully of a stroke at her home in Huntsville, Alabama at 9:15 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2020.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Wilhelmina Ann Dietzen Cowie and her husband, Willie Dewey Hand.
She is survived by a daughter, Katherine Anita Dietzen of New York; a daughter, Joyce Louise Dietzen of Nashville; 7 grandchildren; and 2 great grandchildren; a sister Joyce Cole of Huntsville; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Anita earned an undergraduate degree from David Lipscomb College (Nashville), and a graduate degree in mathematics from Vanderbilt University.
In 1957, Anita married Nick Dietzen of South Pittsburgh, Tennessee and they settled in Huntsville, Alabama where their 3 children were born. She started her career in October 1957 with Brown Engineering Company as a mathematical computational analyst. Anita is a true pioneer and icon and helped pave the way for women in the workforce. Throughout her life she worked on hundreds of missile-defense contracts and continued as an exemplary worker for sixty years with Teledyne Brown Engineering.
Anita has rubbed elbows with Wernher von Braun, Ernst Stuhlinger and other members of the German rocket team. She played a vital role in Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon, and shared Huntsville’s, and the nation’s, grief when we lost Challenger and Columbia.
Anita was also active in the arts in her community and was the first ticketholder of the Broadway series in Huntsville in 1959. She was still an active participant when they celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2019.
While juggling her career and love for community service, Anita cherished her family, raising three girls and spending time with her daughters and grandchildren. She truly put God first in her life, trusting Him every day and in every circumstance. She believed in keeping your family next to God in priority and importance; and in putting forth your best effort every day in family relationships and work.
The family will receive friends at Mayfair Church of Christ on Thursday from 9:30 until 11 a.m. Guests are asked to greet family members from their automobiles at the east entrance.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to: Madison Academy (325 Slaughter Road, Madison, AL 35758, macademy.org); Shiloh NYC (P.O. Box 95, New York, NY 10028, shilohnyc.org); Agape (P.O Box 127, Madison, AL 35758, www.agapecares.org); or a charity of your choice.
