After a long productive and happy life, our mom, Birthe Juli (Nielsen) Filby, well into her nineties, peacefully released her hold on life earlier this week and joined her Danish parents Hugo and Ilona (Dean) Nielsen.
Birthe has been a resident of NH for the past 35 yrs. Starting in Portsmouth, then Lebanon, and ending her time in Farmington close to her son Svend-Erik and Pamela.
Birthe was born March of 1927 in Denmark, enduring the German occupation but surviving and achieving her student exam (High School diploma). She married Frode Wung-Sung and had her first son, San in 1948. The marriage didn’t last, and Frode moved to Columbia. However, Birthe moved on and got a job as the first female civilian working for the Danish Airforce as an air traffic controller at Vaerloese military airport. Here she met a young American Navy airman who had a few days off from his Navy assignment in Iceland. “Long story short.” In late 1958, Birthe immigrated to America and married Larry Filby (not the spy!) and San followed in March 1959.
Wickford, RI was one of the first happy homes of the young international family. Soon Birthe & Larry’s first American child was added to the tree of life in Jan 1960, son, Svend-Erik Filby! But there was little time to cultivate deep roots as first-class electricians’ mate Filby was transferred to West Malling, Kent, England, an old RAF base from WW II.
And so it went for Birthe and company! West Malling was followed by RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, England, which is where Birthe & Larry’s second child, Anne Marie Filby was born! Following four years in England, home became Peacham, VT and High School for San, followed by a tour in the US Navy. Birthe & family followed Larry to Freeport Maine and then off to Naples, Italy and lots of great Pizza! However the traveling Filby’s adventure was coming to an end in 1975.
So Birthe and children again found themselves in the Peacham, Vermont area.
But again, Birthe wasn’t sitting still… she earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Lyndon State College in Behavioral Science in late 1970’s and a Master’s Degree with Honor’s in Psychology of Aging at UNH in 1980’s, followed by years of employment for the state of New Hampshire, Maine, Denmark and Vermont, reluctantly retiring at age 75 from the State of New Hampshire!
Birthe loved cooking, gardening, knitting, sailing, skiing, hunting and road trips, she was an avid reader of social issues, politics & finance. She was worldly and adventurous and loved her children.
Some random fun facts. Birthe received Citizen of the Year in New Hampshire. She had an interesting lunch date with Alfred Hitchcock at Tivoli Gardens in the 1950’s. She did machine gun training with the Queen of Denmark as part of her training for employment at the Danish Air Force Airport. Mom always loved sailing & the water and continued to Kayak and boat well into her 80’s.
Birthe is Survived by her 3 children: San Nielsen & Tracey Petersen, Svend-Erik Filby & wife Pamela Dumont Filby and Anne Marie Filby, 3 grandchildren: Elizabeth, Kristoffer & Giselle, 2 great grandchildren: Sigurd & Theis, sister Annameta Nielsen, and many nieces & nephews from her extended family in Denmark. Predeceased by her sister Lise Arndt, ex-husband’s Larry Filby & Frode Wung-Sung.
A Celebration of Life will be held on her 95th birthday, March 19, 2022 at 86 Briarcliff, Gilford, NH, overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, where she spent her happiest days boating on the lake. Details to follow.
