Essi Seppa

Essi Seppa
Ester "Essi" Seppa died on April 29, 2024, at age 85, after a November diagnosis of cancer.
Born on August 5, 1938, in Finland to Maria "Maija" Happo, Ester married electrical engineer Tapani Seppä in 1961. Tapani passed away in May 2022.
Essi is survived by her son, Timo Eero Tapani Seppa, his son's wife, Judith Lynn (Mann), and granddaughters Kati Lucille, Aili Maija, and Phebe Sara. Ester is also survived by half-sister Kristiina Krook, brother-in-law Heikki Seppä, and sister-in-law Pirkko Seppä, in Finland.
Living in Karelia, in eastern Finland, young Ester was twice a refugee from invasions of Soviet Russia during World War II. She shared an early recollection of being wrapped up in a blanket by her grandmother and slung over her shoulder to be carried away during an evacuation. Her homeland, including her favorite doll, was never returned by the Russians, which Ester did not forget or forgive.
Ester came from a poor, rural, single-parent family. A transformative experience was when she, like tens of thousands of Finnish children, was sent to neutral Sweden from 1944 to 1945. The care of the Svensson (Lantorp) family opened her eyes to a broader world and life in a stable, educated, professional household. Ester remained in touch with her Swedish "siblings" throughout her life.
At only age 14, Ester moved to faraway Helsinki, to work as an au pair for the Brummer family, where both parents were physicians. In a time where it would have been completely normal for a domestic servant to stop at a junior high level of education, Ester distinguished herself in school, continuing through high school with the Brummers' encouragement. Essi went on to receive a master's degree in microbiology from Helsinki University.
With Tapani and one-year-old Timo, Essi moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1969. Initially intending to return to Finland, the family relocated to New Canaan, Connecticut through Tap's growing career as a researcher. Afterward, the family lived in LeRoy, New York for five years before settling in Ridgefield, Connecticut. There, Ester served as a licensed practical nurse at Congregation of Notre Dame for two decades, taking care of elderly nuns. Essi, Tap, and Timo became naturalized US citizens in 1987.
51-year-old Ester met her father Einar Krook for the first time in 1989, shortly before his passing. With an understandable mix of emotions, Essi was fortunate to gain three half-siblings and a host of relatives.
Ester and Tapani loved to travel, particularly to Italy, often with Heikki and Pirkko. They were fans of classical music, art, and history. Essi frequently attended plays with Timo, particularly of Shakespeare, O'Neill, and Miller. Essi was a gifted quilt maker, leaving her family with many beautiful, colorful heirlooms.
In 2016, Essi and Tap moved to New Milford, Connecticut, to be near Timo and his family. In her final years, Essi surprised Timo by watching team sports with him, including hockey, soccer, and rugby, cheering for teams like the Clarkson Golden Knights, South African Springboks, and Arizona Coyotes.
Having survived colon cancer in the 1990s, Ester was not interested in aggressive treatment of her inoperable cancer, preferring to "fade away". Consequently, she was able to spend her last six months at home, being cared for by Judy (a registered nurse), Timo, Kati (a nursing student and nursing aide), and RVNA aide Roni Bynum, who became an extended part of the family. Essi passed away with Timo by her side after having said goodbye to her loved ones over the preceding days and weeks.
Though quiet by nature and sometimes hard to read, people who got to know Essi developed a deep fondness for her. Essi was bright, sweet, caring, and inquisitive, a unique woman who embodied values such as hard work, family, and Finnish sisu, a stoic toughness.
Ester's memorial service will be held at Lillis Funeral Home, 58 Bridge Street in New Milford on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. with a reception to follow. Contact the family for details. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to charities assisting in Ukrainian relief.