Ingrid Aabakken Sophar

SOPHAR INGRID AABAKKEN SOPHAR (92) Ingrid Aabakken Sophar died at Montgomery General Hospital on January 15, 2009, of natural causes. She was born in Hammerfest, Norway. During WWII she served in the Norwegian Underground risking her life getting information to the Allies about Nazi movements. She was also involved in sabotaging the Nazis in Norway. After WWII she worked with refugees for the International Red Cross and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) where she met Gerald Sophar her beloved husband, who predeceased her in 2007. She immigrated to the United States and first moved to the Washington, DC area in 1948. In the 1950's she was a gracious hostess while her husband served in the Foreign Service. She worked in the local area in real estate and insurance for many years. She also volunteered for many years with the Girl Scouts and Meals on Wheels. She lobbied extensively to get the foreign language program in elementary schools (FLES) of Montgomery County. She was a long time member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bethesda, MD. She is survived by her daughters, Kay Sophar of Chevy Chase, MD and Siri Sophar of Hondo, TX and Berkeley Springs, WV,; grandchildren Kimball Lew-Hanson of Norwalk, CT, Karsten Lew-Hanson of Passaic, NJ, and Tracey Erbacher of Chevy Chase, MD, step-granddaughter Michelle Perez and many great-grandchildren in San Antonio, TX. She was predeceased by her grandson Kelly Lew-Hanson. Funeral arrangements are being made by Robert Pumphrey Funeral Home of Rockville. Memorial services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bethesda on Wednesday, January 21, at 2 p.m. She will be interred with her husband in Arlington Cemetary on April 13, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.