Obituary of Alette Ahlefeldt

Ahlefeldt, Alette (her full name in Denmark was Countess Alette Thusnelda Amalie Ahlefeldt-Laurvig), 91 (daughter of the painter Count Harald Moltke and the author Countess Else Moltke), died Friday August 18 in her home at Meadow Ridge after a short period of illness. She is survived by several nieces and nephews living in Scandinavia. Born a Danish citizen in Copenhagen on May 15, 1926, Alette Ahlefeldt was trained in business and administration, and worked in this field until November 1950, when she married Count Christian William Benedict (Bent) Ahlefeldt-Laurvig. At the time, her husband was the financial counsellor at the Danish Embassy in Washington and had his office and residence in New York. Quickly the young bride adapted from her well known life in Denmark to totally new experiences in New York. She became an indispensable support for her husband in their busy life, but had also time to participate in the many activities offered by the Cosmopolitan Club in New York of which she was a member. Alette was also a member of The American Scandinavian Foundation, The American Museum of Natural History and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. After the retirement of her husband, the couple moved permanently to Springfield, Vermont where Alette quickly got involved in volunteer work on top of creating a new life for herself and her husband. Alette became an American Citizen in 1975 after living more than half her life in America. In the spring of 1980 – two years after her husband´s death – Alette moved to Heritage Hills of Westchester. Not long after coming to Westchester, Alette started offering her help as a volunteer and especially did a lot of work at the Northern Westchester Hospital. But Alette also exploited the opportunity to take up tennis again and join many of the activities which Heritage Hills had to offer. After a few years in Westchester, Alette became a member of the Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco. She was very active in the church community and served both as a Deacon and as member of the Board of Session. In her own words: “The work in the church was dedicated as a gift to the glory of God – the gratitude for her life in the United States and the gratitude for her church family”. Alette was a strong personality with a sharp mind combined with a natural grace and openness. Many – family, friends and people in the local community – will miss her cheerful company. Alette never regretted her courageous move from Denmark to America and every day she was grateful for her citizenship of the USA. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, October 6th 2017 at 11 am at the Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco. Memorial contributions may be made to Memorial Sloan-Ketting Cancer Center, www.mskcc.org.