Obituary of Arnhild A. Calais

Arnhild (Ann) Calais, a loving Wife, Mother, Sister and Grandmother passed away on March 7, 2022 after a brief illness. Born on January 15, 1943, Arnhild touched many lives and was an inspiration to us all through her extraordinary kindness, generosity, dignity and a rarely found sense of selflessness that made everyone she came in contact with feel better about the world. Arnhild bravely emigrated from Norway at age twenty to start a new life in Brooklyn where she would soon meet Bengt (Ben) Calais at a Scandinavian mixer. The couple instantly became inseparable and were married for over 55 wonderful years first settling in Queens and then later moving to Merrick in 1975 into a house that they would call home for over 47 years until her passing. A great listener and conversationalist, Arnhild was a beautiful and fun-loving person who lived and cared deeply for her family and friends. When she asked “how are you doing” it was not merely a figure of speech but rather a genuine connection where she listened to your answer intently. She was a welcoming host to many over the years, especially her extended family - the beloved Andersons/Johnsons - as well as a steady flow of friends and family from Norway and Sweden. Arnhild expressed her love to all through sharing her famous Cowboy Cookies, Swedish meatballs and waffles as part of her warm and authentic hospitality. Arnhild leaves behind to celebrate her life: loving husband Bengt, daughters Anne (John), Karen (Mike) as well as four grandchildren who she adored with all her love and imparted wisdom - Amanda, Isabella, Spencer and Tommy. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in Arnhild’s name would be greatly appreciated (www.lustgarten.org).