Obituary for Else Tupanjanin (Aaerustrup)
Else Tupanjanin, a long-time resident of Glen Rock, N.J., passed away on April 1, 2023, after a long illness at the Christian Healthcare Center in Wyckoff, N.J. She was 94.
Born in Bergen, Norway in 1928, she survived five years of Nazi occupation in Norway when she was a teenager, from 1940 to 1945. She attended business school in Norway, the University of Exeter in England to study English, the Alliance Francaise in Paris to learn French, and a cooking school in Denmark.
She relocated to the U.S. in the 1950s and worked at the Norwegian America line in New York City. While living in New York, she ran into her future husband, Vukosav Tupanjanin, for the third time in an extraordinary series of coincidences. They first met in England at the University of Exeter, then bumped into one other in Paris, France on a subway, and finally met again in New York City, incredibly, on a subway. Deciding that it was truly meant to be, they were married in 1957 and welcomed two children, Madeleine and Michael.
While raising her children in Riverdale, N.Y., and Glen Rock, N.J., Else also worked as a secretary/office manager at several organizations, including Manhattan College in New York City, and the Instrumentation Sales Company in Ridgewood, N.J. Else’s Norwegian heritage came through with her love of the outdoors and skiing. She taught her children to ski at an early age, and often went with her family to ski slopes and parks. She regularly traveled back to Norway for visits in the summer with family and friends, and enjoyed sailing in the fjords and hiking in the mountains. She was also a member of New Jersey’s Adirondack Mountain Club, and often led hikes in the local mountains. Else greatly enjoyed playing bridge with her many friends, and was also involved with the Community Church of Glen Rock.
With a strong, independent spirit, Else was a kind, intelligent, and generous mother, grandmother and friend. She adored her five grandchildren, and was very supportive of her nieces, nephews, and her extended family. She was always willing to help neighbors, friends, and others in need. Else was predeceased by her former husband Vukosav Tupanjanin.
She is survived by her daughter Madeleine, and husband Kevin Barry, and their children Christopher and Jimmy; son Michael Tupanjanin, and wife Claudia, and their children Peter, Liv, and Nicholas; and a sister, Sidsel Ludt, and her family William, Jannikke, and Penneline.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Community Church of Glen Rock on Saturday, June 17, at 11:00 am.
Born in Bergen, Norway in 1928, she survived five years of Nazi occupation in Norway when she was a teenager, from 1940 to 1945. She attended business school in Norway, the University of Exeter in England to study English, the Alliance Francaise in Paris to learn French, and a cooking school in Denmark.
She relocated to the U.S. in the 1950s and worked at the Norwegian America line in New York City. While living in New York, she ran into her future husband, Vukosav Tupanjanin, for the third time in an extraordinary series of coincidences. They first met in England at the University of Exeter, then bumped into one other in Paris, France on a subway, and finally met again in New York City, incredibly, on a subway. Deciding that it was truly meant to be, they were married in 1957 and welcomed two children, Madeleine and Michael.
While raising her children in Riverdale, N.Y., and Glen Rock, N.J., Else also worked as a secretary/office manager at several organizations, including Manhattan College in New York City, and the Instrumentation Sales Company in Ridgewood, N.J. Else’s Norwegian heritage came through with her love of the outdoors and skiing. She taught her children to ski at an early age, and often went with her family to ski slopes and parks. She regularly traveled back to Norway for visits in the summer with family and friends, and enjoyed sailing in the fjords and hiking in the mountains. She was also a member of New Jersey’s Adirondack Mountain Club, and often led hikes in the local mountains. Else greatly enjoyed playing bridge with her many friends, and was also involved with the Community Church of Glen Rock.
With a strong, independent spirit, Else was a kind, intelligent, and generous mother, grandmother and friend. She adored her five grandchildren, and was very supportive of her nieces, nephews, and her extended family. She was always willing to help neighbors, friends, and others in need. Else was predeceased by her former husband Vukosav Tupanjanin.
She is survived by her daughter Madeleine, and husband Kevin Barry, and their children Christopher and Jimmy; son Michael Tupanjanin, and wife Claudia, and their children Peter, Liv, and Nicholas; and a sister, Sidsel Ludt, and her family William, Jannikke, and Penneline.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Community Church of Glen Rock on Saturday, June 17, at 11:00 am.