Erik Aas Vestergaard

MERIDEN - On Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, the Vestergaard family of Meriden, said farewell to a beloved family member, Erik Aas Vestergaard, husband, father, Opa, uncle, brother and friend to many.

Born April 14, 1933 on the small island of Nykobing Mors in northern Denmark, Erik grew up during the time of German occupation. Erik served his country as a Royal Guard at the Palace in Copenhagen and was a member of the National Track and Field team of Denmark. He came to the United States in the mid 1950's as an Olympic hopeful to compete in the World Games in New York, where he met the woman of his dreams, Liselotte Macher, of Klagenfurt, Austria. They married and settled in Rye, N.Y., and built a family and a long marriage of 55 years. They moved to Meriden, in 1966, where he was employed by the Seven Up bottling company. He also was a familiar face at Kaye's Pharmacy and Grand Union where he worked a second job to fulfill the dream of buying a home. Just as important to him was to have his family be able to travel back to Europe to allow his children to know their relatives in Denmark and Austria. He retired from Goss and DeLeeuw Machine Company in Kensington in 1998 and could be found enjoying his retirement at any of the local public tennis courts where he played on a doubles team until 2011. He was an avid runner and he and his dog were mainstays at the Tradition Run to the top of Castle Craig in Meriden or the Daffodil festival run and he loved any of the races at Block Island. His sons, daughter, grandchildren and extended family members still participate in the Tradition Run in his honor each year. Where ever he lived his garden would stand out in the neighborhood with the distinct look of a European home. A true family man in every sense of the word, he looked out for his children, the neighborhood children and later his grandchildren.

Erik leaves behind his wife, Liselotte; son, Kenneth and his wife, Barbara, of Cheshire and Kenneth's children, Jaime and his wife, Meaghan, Kye, Madison and Levin Vestergaard; daughter, Christina Casavina, of Cheshire and her children, Ian Bell and Whitney Casavina; son, Stuart and his wife, Jennifer, of Durham and their children, Nicholas and Alexandra; and a sister, Grete Aas Degn, of Nykobing Mors.

Relatives and friends may call at the Beecher & Bennett-Flatow Funeral Home, 48 Cook Ave., Meriden on Friday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. funeral services and burial will be private.

The family extends a special thank you to Elim Park in Cheshire for their loving care of Erik during his time there.