It is with great sadness that the family and friends of Ursula Heibges announce her passing on May18, 2017 after a brief illness. She died peacefully, surrounded by a loving group of friends. Ursula will be missed but not forgotten by the many who were touched by her gentle spirit. Ursula was born in Paderborn, Germany on December 17, 1928. She received her early schooling in Germany, where she discovered her love of music at a young age. Her godfather, Wilhelm Heibges, a missionary in Honolulu, brought Ursula, who was 23 at this time, to the United States to study. She received her Masters degree from Columbia University and her PhD from Bryn Mawr College. In 1961 she joined the faculty at Middlebury College in the Classics Department, focusing on Latin and Greek, and at a young age was asked to chair the department. Ursula was instrumental in keeping the Classics Department strong and vibrant. She went to the American Academy in Rome, spent time in Greece and was a visiting professor for a year at the University of Indiana. Ursula loved the outdoors and all aspects of nature. She found great pleasure skiing and hiking in Vermonts Green Mountains; she especially enjoyed Texas Falls. Ursula was quite knowledgeable about wildflowers and enjoyed picking blueberries, finishing up at Blueberry Hill Inn for dinner. When Ursula retired in 1990 as Associate Professor Emerita of Classics, she received a small grant to continue her work at home. Ursula was an accomplished musician, and combined her expertise in Classics with her love for music. She kept to a rigid schedule, and you could find her most every morning sitting at her desk, playing the recorder and writing down music she created for ancient Greek poems. Ursulas love of music and language were always an important part of her life. She was a longstanding member of St. Marys Catholic Church choir and the Middlebury College Community Chorus. For many years she played her recorder with friends on a regular basis. She also enjoyed monthly gatherings with other German-speaking friends from the area. She loved languages and learning. At one point, Ursula developed an interest in learning Russian and took a beginning Russian course. Her amazing persistence allowed her to achieve her goal of reading great Russian novels in Russian. Ursula was an inspiration to all who knew her. Ursula was predeceased by her parents, Stephan Heibges and Hedwig Heibges (Langmann), as well as her two brothers, Wolfgang Heibges and Bruno Heibges. She is survived by her sister-in-law Margritta Heibges, three nephews: Stephan Heibges of Moers, Germany, Thomas Heibges of Moers, Germany and Marcus Heibges of Osterroenfeld, Germany and two nieces, Birgit Mezele of Berlin, Germany and Barbara Heibges-Segebarth of Muenster, Germany. A funeral mass was held at St. Marys Catholic Church in Middlebury on May 20, 2017, followed by a celebration of Ursulas life at The Middlebury Inn. Funeral arrangements were handled by Sanderson-Ducharme Funeral Service. In keeping with Ursulas love of music and children, memorial contributions may be made to the Middlebury Community Music Center (MCMC) at 6 Main Street, Middlebury, Vermont 05753.