This past June, Else Grotrian, a longtime board member and dear friend of Riis Settlement, passed away after a long and brave battle with cancer. Else was a warm and generous person who truly loved Riis Settlement and went above and beyond to support our work. She will be dearly missed by us all.
Else Herskind Grotrian Matthews 1947-2021
Else Grotrian Matthews was born on May 30th, 1947, in the small town of Kjellerup, in the heartland of Jutland between Silkeborg and Viborg. Petite, gregarious, busy, ever supportive of a good cause and always with a ready smile: Else was a happy fixture in the Danish and Scandinavian communities of New York and the Tri-State Area for nearly four decades, ever since she and her husband Sammy came to these shores over forty years ago. For many years she worked in the banking industry, using her early training in that field, which she received in Denmark after taking her Realeksamen. Else later worked at the Danish Consulate General and in recent years was an accredited New York City guide, who proudly showed visitors around her beloved “city that never sleeps,” working right up to the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. But it was perhaps in her private life that Else made her greatest impact on the world around her, by constantly volunteering her time and effort in support of multiple causes, most often Danish or Scandinavian initiatives and celebrations of Nordic culture and performing arts.
For years she was active on the boards of the Danish American Society, The Scandinavian-American Society, where she was particularly engaged in recognizing and promoting young and emerging artists, and at the Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement, which serves people in need who wish to improve their plight in the inner city. Else was also a regular and eager helper at the annual Christmas market staged by the Danish Seamen’s Church in Brooklyn. She was always a predictably enthusiastic participant in all sorts of events and initiatives, even when she had no designated role to play. Everybody around her loved Else, no matter where or when, because she was everybody’s friend, and everybody wanted to be hers.
Three years ago, Else contracted pancreatic cancer. Given the gravity of that diagnosis, most people would be dejected, most would slow down, many would feel sorry for themselves, and some would give up; but not our Else! She was absolutely determined to make the very best of a bad situation, remaining cheerful and positive, and gave it her very best effort, courageously pursuing her busy agenda; only with time was she forced to yield to a diminishing capacity, and then make only necessary adjustments. For an uncommonly extended period she remained active and engaged. Over these latest few months, however, she suffered increasingly from fatigue, lost strength and in the end had to resort to the use a wheelchair. On Tuesday June 8th, Else decided to take an afternoon rest on her sofa at home, quietly fell asleep and died in peace.
Else Grotrian Matthews leaves a void in the extended Danish and Scandinavian communities of The Big Apple, the city she loved so much, and indeed in the Queensbridge Houses of Western Queens.
Aeret vaere hendes minde.
Obituary by Chairman Emeritus Flemming Heilmann
