Gisela Robeck

Gisela Robeck, age 92, passed away peacefully at home in West Brattleboro on Dec 14, 2021, with her family at her side.

Gisela was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1929. After training as a kindergarten teacher, she immigrated to the United States in 1952. As she raised her four children, the family lived in Chicago, Phoenix, Florida, and the Boston area. In her forties, Gisela went back to college and earned a degree in Computer Science and later a master’s degree in Finance. She worked as a financial analyst for John Hancock Life Insurance in Boston until 1992, when she retired to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, enjoying the warm weather, the beautiful flowers, and the many visitors who basked in her hospitality.

In 2011, Gisela moved to Brattleboro. She became an active member of Brattleboro's Centre Congregational Church, serving on the Member Care and Fundraising committees, among others. She was a key member of the Centre Church Quilt Club, whose members make quilts for all the baptized babies in the church and for every new baby attending The Center for Children. Gisela greatly enjoyed watching the parents’ delight as they picked a quilt for their child. With the club, she also made quilts, cards, bags, and ornaments for the Holiday Bazaar.

Gisela is survived by her three daughters and a granddaughter: Katrina Robeck and husband Rolf Grandstaff of Garner, NC, and their daughter Erika, of Lawrence, KS; Diana Todd and husband Lee of Halifax; and Linda Fuhrman and husband Don of Marlboro. Her son Frank predeceased her. She is also survived by her sister Gunda Sadoine of Marseille, France, and a niece and nephews in Germany, France, and China.

A memorial service will be held at Centre Congregational Church sometime in the spring.