Obituary for Lise Lange Striar
Lise Lange Striar was born on December 3rd, 1935, in Trondheim Norway, daughter of Jean Emil Lange and Anna Therese Larsen. She grew up in Oslo and Arendal, attending Oslo Katedralskole and the University of Oslo, where she was awarded the Norwegian equivalent of Masters degrees in in English, French and History.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years Myles; daughters Siri, Johanna and Maria; son-in-law Francisco Hernandez and grandson Emilio Hernandez; sister Marit, brother Johan Emil, and numerous adoring nieces and nephews, all in Norway. She is pre-deceased by her sister Eva and her grandson Mathias.
Lise was a proud Norwegian, and despite living here for 60 years, never became a US citizen, although she followed its politics avidly. Because of her diligence, her children not only learned to speak Norwegian fluently, but both visited and lived there and forged deep connections with her large family there, for whom she was a grounding, calm and uniting presence.
An avid reader of newspapers, periodicals, and books of all ilk, reading in several languages, Lise was a member of two large reading groups. She was committed to the civic good, especially the greening of the city, and was a member and supporter of multiple organizations, including Friends of the Public Garden, the Beacon Hill Garden Club, and Rogerson Communities.
Lise had great taste and style in home and dress, often in a signature Scandinavian flavor. She had a passion for plants and flowers, and developed a beautiful garden in Truro, Cape Cod in which she installed her father’s orange dahlias from Norway, as well as, after much work, bountiful gooseberry bushes which brought a taste of her childhood to her American neighbors.
Although slightly introverted, Lise was a fierce hostess, for many years throwing a massive holiday party which friends would arrange their schedules not to miss, featuring the potent mulled wine gløgg, as well as six types of home-pickled herring, seven types of Christmas cookies, and homemade breads, pates, and terrines. Parties, celebrating the many holidays of her and Myles’s cultural mix, or any other event that seemed to warrant it often included ridiculous activities (including her grandmother’s famous potato game), singing, costumes and hat-making and much eating and drinking.
She was a loving grandmother, delighting in the growth of her grandsons, with whom she shared vacations and milestone events throughout their childhoods. Lise gathered with elementary school and university friends into her 80s. She taught her children to make and keep friends for life, and to make a warm and inviting home and to welcome people into it—hygge before it was a catchphrase.
She was at times formal, but not shy to share her opinions, careful but generous, thorough and fair. She had a dry and sometimes impish sense of humor and an appreciation for the silly. She believed there was a right way to do things, and held you to account. But, as her husband will tell you, Lise never held a grudge.
Lise and Myles met at the University of Oslo in 1956, and became a couple not long after that, hitchhiking to Israel and working on a kibbutz, marrying in Paris and living in the South of France until settling in Beacon Hill where they lived for 60 years. They were the loves of each other’s lives.
In lieu of flowers—although she loved them—donations can be made in her name to the Beacon Hill Garden Club or Rogerson Communities
. A celebration of her life will be scheduled at a later date.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years Myles; daughters Siri, Johanna and Maria; son-in-law Francisco Hernandez and grandson Emilio Hernandez; sister Marit, brother Johan Emil, and numerous adoring nieces and nephews, all in Norway. She is pre-deceased by her sister Eva and her grandson Mathias.
Lise was a proud Norwegian, and despite living here for 60 years, never became a US citizen, although she followed its politics avidly. Because of her diligence, her children not only learned to speak Norwegian fluently, but both visited and lived there and forged deep connections with her large family there, for whom she was a grounding, calm and uniting presence.
An avid reader of newspapers, periodicals, and books of all ilk, reading in several languages, Lise was a member of two large reading groups. She was committed to the civic good, especially the greening of the city, and was a member and supporter of multiple organizations, including Friends of the Public Garden, the Beacon Hill Garden Club, and Rogerson Communities.
Lise had great taste and style in home and dress, often in a signature Scandinavian flavor. She had a passion for plants and flowers, and developed a beautiful garden in Truro, Cape Cod in which she installed her father’s orange dahlias from Norway, as well as, after much work, bountiful gooseberry bushes which brought a taste of her childhood to her American neighbors.
Although slightly introverted, Lise was a fierce hostess, for many years throwing a massive holiday party which friends would arrange their schedules not to miss, featuring the potent mulled wine gløgg, as well as six types of home-pickled herring, seven types of Christmas cookies, and homemade breads, pates, and terrines. Parties, celebrating the many holidays of her and Myles’s cultural mix, or any other event that seemed to warrant it often included ridiculous activities (including her grandmother’s famous potato game), singing, costumes and hat-making and much eating and drinking.
She was a loving grandmother, delighting in the growth of her grandsons, with whom she shared vacations and milestone events throughout their childhoods. Lise gathered with elementary school and university friends into her 80s. She taught her children to make and keep friends for life, and to make a warm and inviting home and to welcome people into it—hygge before it was a catchphrase.
She was at times formal, but not shy to share her opinions, careful but generous, thorough and fair. She had a dry and sometimes impish sense of humor and an appreciation for the silly. She believed there was a right way to do things, and held you to account. But, as her husband will tell you, Lise never held a grudge.
Lise and Myles met at the University of Oslo in 1956, and became a couple not long after that, hitchhiking to Israel and working on a kibbutz, marrying in Paris and living in the South of France until settling in Beacon Hill where they lived for 60 years. They were the loves of each other’s lives.
In lieu of flowers—although she loved them—donations can be made in her name to the Beacon Hill Garden Club or Rogerson Communities
. A celebration of her life will be scheduled at a later date.