Vera Habrecht Simons

Vera Habrecht Simons Vera was born in Germany on November 23, 1920 to Max and Maja Habrecht. She was raised in Detroit, Michigan and she lived in Austin, Texas for 22 years where she died on July 31, 2012. Vera possessed a uniquely creative and adventuresome spirit. By the 1950's and 1960's, no other woman had played such an important role in high altitude gas balloon development and exploration. She was a founding owner and partner in one of the world's first plastic balloon companies, Winzen Research. She obtained four patents and established herself as the finest plastic gas balloon builder in the world. Considered a member of a small group known as 'Pre-Astronauts', she was also a central figure in planning and executing a series of Air Force and Naval manned research flights. In 1957 she represented the United States at the 30th Annual International Gas Balloon Races in Holland where she received a gold medal for her contributions to gas balloon research. By the mid to late 1960's, Vera was also establishing herself as an international artist and conceived a project that would combine her two loves... art and ballooning. In 1972, following an exhibit of her art work in Amsterdam, she began planning a series of balloon flights called 'DaVinci' that combined science with original kinetic art. Vera spent two years designing and supervising the construction of a two-decker fiberglass gondola and an 11 story tall polyethylene balloon in which she eventually set a new overland distance record in the U.S. in 1979. During the same flight, Vera dropped tiny tetrahedron balloons carrying Douglas Fir seedlings into cleared areas, took time-lapse photographs, made sound recordings, and used mirrors to create special lighting effects in the clouds for the spectators on the ground. Vera's true love and passion was art! By the late 1960's and thru-out the 1970's and 80's, Vera was a recognized international artist. Her kinetic art pieces, collages and oils were shown in galleries in New York, London, Berlin, Dublin, San Antonio and Houston. Her work was featured in group shows alongside her contemporaries, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Andy Warhol and Christo. Vera was still creating new art in her studio the week of her death. Vera is loved and missed by her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Austin Humane Society.