Obituary of Lisette M Wehrli

Lisette Wehrli

September 8, 2024

Lisette Marguerite (née Liechti) Wehrli passed away on September 8, 2024, at the age of 95. She is survived by her children: Nicole Wampfler (Tad), Gregory Wehrli and Linette LaMountain (John); seven grandchildren: Jacob Wampfler (Heather), Carlene Del Santo (William), Jackson Wehrli, Michael Wehrli, Matthew LaMountain (Casey), Christopher LaMountain and Peter LaMountain, and one great-grandchild: Juliette with two more on the way.

She is survived by two brothers: Andre Liechti and Pierre Liechti. She is predeceased by her husband of 64 years, Hans J. Wehrli and two siblings: Pauline Dellai and Daniel Liechti.

Lisette was born in 1929 in the idyllic countryside of Bussy-sur-Moudon, Switzerland. Due to the ravages of the Depression and World War II, her youth was spent caring for her four siblings and helping her family make ends meet.

In her early twenties, Lisette set a goal to come to America; the land of opportunity. She learned English in London and while there, she formed lifelong friendships with other young Swiss women who shared the same dream of a life in America.

In 1953, by way of steerage class on the Queen Mary, she came to the United States as a nanny for the Pullen family of Westport CT, caring for their three children.

She met Hans J. Wehrli, also a Swiss, at a social gathering in New York City. Married in 1956, they lived for the next 59 years in Valhalla, NY in a house that resembled the Swiss chalets of their homeland.  In 2015, they moved to Wilton CT to live with their eldest daughter and to be near their son.

Lisette was the quintessential stay-at-home mom, managing all aspects of the home including masonry work, landscaping, and cultivating expansive colorful gardens.  She sewed matching outfits for her girls and Halloween costumes, built snow animals in the winters and sandcastles in the summers in Westhampton Beach, Long Island, NY.  She was an amazing cook, but her expertise was as a baker.  The homemade bread, pies, fruit tarts and holiday cookies will never be forgotten.

As her children grew, Lisette began a career as a silversmith. Honing her craft, she taught jewelry making classes at Pace University and the YMCA. She was a proficient painter and even dabbled as a travel agent. Other passions included travel, singing and volunteering as a Girl Scout leader.

From a small town in Switzerland to the shores of America, Lisette spent her final years in the Westport, CT area; the place where her American journey began some 71 years ago. Lisette lived a full life. To her family she is an example of stalwartness and will always be a beacon of love.