Gerda Lee, a retired nurse and active resident in Pacific Palisades since 1976, passed away at home early on April 22. She died gently in her sleep with her husband, Peter, by her side holding her hand as the light from the window shone on her lovely face. Born near Haderslev, Denmark, on May 19, 1938, Gerda was the fourth of six sisters born to Nis and Nikoline Pedersen, who owned a farm near that city. Gerda and her sisters grew up on the farm and helped with the farming during their school years. After graduating from public school, Gerda was employed in her first job at 15 as a housemaid living with a family, doing housework and taking care of their four children. She then attended nursing school and began working at hospitals in Denmark. While living in Copenhagen in 1961, Gerda had a ‘chance’ meeting with her future husband, Peter Lee, as arranged by her cousin Carl. The two young men were returning to America the next day after bicycling in Europe, so Gerda secured three tickets to the theater and they enjoyed an evening together. Peter went back to California, served in the military, and attended engineering school. Between hospital jobs, Gerda traveled to several areas of the world. In Israel, she enlisted in an Israeli-Danish work exchange program with her friend Inger to experience life in a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee. She told stories about how this collective community of farmers shared all their property and combined their labor. The adults ate together in a dining hall, and everyone worked equally. At first, Gerda worked in the field helping with harvesting of agricultural products, but the hot weather was daunting for someone used to the Denmark’s cooler weather. She fortunately learned that with a few Hebrew lessons she could obtain a job in an air-conditioned kiosk. She also traveled to the far regions of Israel, sometimes into areas that were protected by soldiers with rifles. One trip involved thumbing a ride through a desert area with her friend Inger. A retired Israeli-American couple, driving a large American car, felt sorry for them and stopped to give them a ride. The couple, who had experienced the Holocaust, explained that they originally had a difficult time choosing which country to visit, Israel or Denmark. They admired Denmark because of the Danes’ remarkable humanitarian aid to the Jews in World War II. Now they said they felt that their experience was complete, having met up with these two Danish girls who needed help in the desert. Gerda later traveled to Scotland to work on the neurosurgical floor at a hospital in Edinburgh, where she had a difficult time making oral medical staff reports on each patient in English. She had to learn English simultaneously while preparing the patient reports; each report was first written, then given orally with dictionary in hand. In 1967, Gerda’s American cousin, Carl, announced his wedding date. She saw this as an opportunity to attend his wedding and see America. After traveling across the U.S. by bus from New York to Los Angeles, Gerda met up again with Peter Lee (still an eligible bachelor), who was best man at Carl’s wedding. They hadn’t been in contact since 1961, but struck up a friendship before Gerda returned to Denmark and her nursing work. They began corresponding and, after Gerda visited Peter a year later, he proposed to her by correspondence and she accepted. They married on July 12, 1969 in Moltrup, Denmark, on her father’s birthday. The newlyweds settled in Santa Monica, where Gerda obtained a job on the pediatric floor at Santa Monica Hospital, while Peter worked as an electrical engineer at the L.A. Department of Water and Power. They then bought a house in Westchester and Gerda retired from her nursing work when her first son, Paul, was born in 1971. John was born in 1974. Two years later, the family moved to Fiske Street in Pacific Palisades. Gerda was actively involved in her children’s schools (including Paul Revere and Palisades High) and at Palisades Lutheran Church. She soon gained renown as a gourmet baker whose Danish butter cake was especially coveted; at a church silent auction, one of her cakes sold for $200. She was a gracious hostess at church, where she helped to organize the coffee and snack table for many years. She served on the church council, founded the Caring Committee and enjoyed being a church greeter and helping people feel at home. On the 1100 block of Fiske Street, Gerda was an equally warm and generous neighbor to everyone. She and her friend Karen Raiford started a Fourth of July block party 17 years ago and it has become a popular tradition. Gerda will be remembered for her love toward people and reaching out to all she met with love and friendship, always with much grace and warmth. She had a passion for whatever she did in this life, and there was never a job so small that it shouldn’t be done correctly. She maintained a strong positive spirit despite her seven years of chemotherapy, three operations and radiation in her valiant battle against ovarian cancer. She always maintained, however, that prayers and love from friends and family gave her extra years. In those years she took great pride in seeing her three grandchildren born. Most of all, beyond her accomplishments, Gerda loved and lived for her family. She enjoyed being a wife, mother and grandmother and was loved in return by family members and the many people showered by her attentive love. Gerda is survived by her husband Peter; sons Paul, who lives in Alameda, and John (wife Julia Harty) of Livermore; grandsons Nathaniel, Tanner and Griffin; sisters Anna Bodker, Magda Pedersen, Esther Christensen (husband Anders), and Maja Johannesen (husband Gustav). She was predeceased by her sister Clara Mikkelsen (husband Preben). A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. this Saturday, May 3, at Palisades Lutheran Church, corner of Sunset and El Medio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
