Story highlights Patrick Sondenheimer's grandmother describes him as a loving father

German media report he decided to fly for Germanwings to be closer to his family

Social media posts describe him as a hero for trying to save the flight

(CNN) Patrick Sondenheimer loved his work as a pilot.

But the 34-year-old captain of Germanwings Flight 9525 was also a loving father, his grandmother said.

"I am devastated," said his grandmother, who asked for privacy for the family. "His death came so sudden and it leaves my whole family in shock."

Sondenheimer is one of 150 people who died last week when the plane crashed in the French Alps on its way from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany.

Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A recovery crew works among debris of Germanwings Flight 9525 at the crash site near Seyne-les-Alpes, France, on Friday, April 3. The crash killed all 150 people aboard and has raised questions about the co-pilot's mental state. Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France French Gen. David Galtier holds up a picture of the second black box from Germanwings 9525 during a news conference in Marseille, France, on Thursday, April 2. The flight data recorder shows that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz purposely used the controls to speed up the plane's descent, investigators said. Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Rescue workers recover debris from the crash site in the French Alps on Tuesday, March 31. Flight 9525 was traveling from Barcelona, Spain, to Dusseldorf, Germany, when it crashed. Hide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A helicopter drops rescue workers next to crash debris near Seyne-les-Alpes, France, on Sunday, March 29. Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Forensic experts work near the crash site on Thursday, March 26. Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Journalists stand in front of the Westerwald airfield in Montabaur, Germany, on March 27. Lubitz reportedly learned to fly here. Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Investigators carry a computer from the home of Lubitz's parents in Montabaur, Germany, on Thursday, March 26. Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A police officer stands guard March 26 at an apartment building where Lubitz was thought to have lived in Dusseldorf. Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A helicopter lifts a rescue worker from the crash site on March 26. Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Rescue workers continue to search the site of the crash on March 26. Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Search-and-rescue teams land near the crash site on Wednesday, March 25. Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Debris from the plane is seen along a mountainside on March 25. Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France French military personnel move up a mountainside March 25 near Seyne-les-Alpes. Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France The cockpit voice recorder of the Germanwings jet appears in this photo provided by the French air accident investigation bureau on March 25. The device is designed to capture all sounds on a plane's flight deck. Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A helicopter comes in to land near Seyne-les-Alpes, the staging ground for search efforts, on March 25. Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Rescue workers and members of the French Gendarmerie gather in Seyne-les-Alpes on Tuesday, March 24, as search-and-rescue teams struggle to reach the remote crash. Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Wreckage is seen at the crash site on March 24. Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Response teams gather in Seyne-les-Alpes on March 24. Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Relatives of the flight's passengers arrive at the airport in Barcelona on March 24. Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France People hold hands walking through the Dusseldorf Airport on March 24. Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France The arrivals board at the Dusseldorf Airport shows Germanwings Flight 9525 without a status on March 24. Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France People arrive at the Dusseldorf Airport on March 24. Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France An employee of Swissport, the handling agent of Germanwings flights from Barcelona, speaks by phone at the Barcelona-El Prat Airport on March 24. Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France Relatives of people involved in the crash arrive at the Barcelona airport on March 24. Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France A man in Madrid looks at a monitor with a map, released from the Flightradar24 website, showing the point where the plane's radar signal went missing. Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: Germanwings plane crashes in France This undated file photo shows the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed. Germanwings is a low-cost airline owned by the Lufthansa Group. Hide Caption 26 of 26