Photo by Ellie Beeler

When Lucie was young, she read the poem, The Song of the Shirt by Thomas Hood (in German translation) and was forever influenced.

When Communism was still rich with idealism, " she joined the Communist party, dreaming of universal equality. When Hitler came into power, she struggled against his Austrian takeover. Later, as a refugee, despite the bomb that wiped out their home, she embraced her new life in London.
Lucie was active in the struggle for Jewish reparations. She joined the anti-nuclear fight and was active in Amnesty International. She gave to many charities. She was on the governing board of the local elementary school. She was on the board of the housing complex in which she lived from the time of her beloved husband, Erwin's, death until her own.


Lucie's badges photo by Oliver Walters

On a personal level, she spent many hours helping the ill and the elderly. And a lifetime being daughter, wife and then  mother to her own two daughters and grandmother to her four grandsons. Not to mention, being a loving cousin to us, her cousin Angela's four children and later our children's children as well.

She picked damsons from a neighborhood damson tree. She donated to the neighborhood "Charity Stores." She adored her various Siamese cats. She knew all the answers to Britain's intellectual quiz shows. She was really good at scrabble too!

What I am trying to say is that she was throughout her long life politically active, an active community member, a traveler too, and such a very good person. She was intelligent, witty, a lover of music, a lover of art, a lover of family, and a lover of humanity.

In turn, we loved her. Lucie was our mother's cousin and close friend from childhood onward. From the time I was 18 until I was well into my 60s, every few years I would come to London to stay with her for a bit. Sometimes for a week, two weeks, once , along with my two then young children, for two months. Toward the end of her life, Lucie asked me to stop coming. Company had become too much of a strain.

So now, there are memories...


With her best friend, Dada
Photo by Ellie Beeler