Obituary of Marguerite Josef Lohry

Marguerite (Pippi) L. Josef Lohry of Loveland, Colorado, passed away peacefully in her home June 23, 2023, at the age of 82. Born December 6, 1940, in Schauerbeek, Belgium to parents Herta and Howard Josef.

At about eight years old, after her parents were murdered in Auschwitz concentration camp, she came to the United States as a Holocaust survivor through Ellis Island and was adopted by the Greenbergs in New York. Attending school in New York with celebrities Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond, she would stay in New York, have a brief stay in Miami, Florida, and then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1974.

Even after 75 years in the United States, she still spoke with a strong French accent, beautifully rolling her R’s. everyone loved her and knew “Pippi”, (named after the book character, Pippi Longstocking), because she often wore long braided pigtails, along with overalls and tennis shoes. Pippi (coined first by her late friend, Dwight), lived a life of adventure, working in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the bingo room at the Showboat, living in a Kubutz in Israel, and spending many winters in Yelapa, Mexico. In 1976, she loaded up her little red Toyota, “Scarlet”, and found a home among friends in Estes Park, CO, where she would live out her happiest years.  

Pippi loved camping, hiking, and the beauty of her mountain home near Rocky Mountain National Park. She always had dogs and will be missed by “Millie”. Pippi loved music, especially opera, classic movies, and musicals like Evita, Sound of Music, Oklahoma, and Fiddler on The Roof.  She loved Trivia and Scrabble, and was always the life of the party, laughing and dancing, but certainly ready for a serious, deep discussion, when the occasion called for it.

Pippi especially loved to cook, and she brought passion for food and good service as a waitress at several Estes Park restaurants, including Nicky’s, The Log Cabin, Crowley’s, The Big Horn and Roth’s.

In the early 1990’s, she and her late husband, Richard Lohry, owned and operated Pippi’s Place Coffee Shop in Estes Park, CO, where they gleefully served Estes Park’s finest food - - pastries, sandwiches, and homemade soups - - to the locals and tourists alike. Pippi was also a home health provider for a few years after her and Richard relocated to Loveland, CO, kindly caring for elderly shut- ins.

Pippi’s immediate family still reside in Brussels, Belgium, as well as in the Indianapolis, Indiana, area. Pippi’s sister, Madeline Josef and nephews David and John Josef Sonnenbluck, brought her great joy when visiting them in Brussels.

She was preceded in death by her husband Richard Lohry in 2019 and her son, Marc B Rhoades, who passed in 2020. Pippi is survived by her daughter Julie L Rhoades and three grandchildren; Abbey Koneru (Varun), Audrey Rodman (Adam), and Ansel Hendrix; and one great grandchild; Lennon Rodman.

Pippi had a large circle of close, loving friends throughout her time in Colorado, especially her lifelong friend Bernadette (Bernie) Alexander, who she first met and worked alongside at the Showboat in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the entire Ciria family; Dina Ream, Kim Ciria, Sherri (Mitch) Brown, and Jill Johansen.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 20, 2023 at 1907 N Whitcomb Street, Fort Collins, CO, at 10AM. Light refreshments will be served immediately following. All who knew and loved Pippi are welcome to attend.  In lieu of flowers, a donation to Elderhaus, 6813 S. College Avenue, Fort Collins, Co, or Elderhaus.org, in Pippi’s memory would be appreciated.