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04/11/2018 12:00 AMMarie-Therese Riis died peacefully with her family on April 5 in North Branford. She was 93 years old. Marie-Therese was born in Bergen, Norway on Sept. 10, 1924.
Her family lived in Paris until 1932 and then moved back to Bergen when she was eight years old. As a teenager, Marie-Therese was well known in Norway as a singer and actress. She pursued her education, attending hotel and culinary schools before immigrating to the United States with her fiancé John Riis in 1950. They married and lived in Brooklyn, New York. The Riis’s then moved to Montreal, Canada and in 1962 settled in Riverside, Connecticut. In 2015 they moved to North Branford.
Marie-Therese is survived by her husband of 68 years, John Riis. They have four children, Mette Riis and partner Jerome Scezney of Golden, Colorado, Johan Riis of Norwalk, Elise Bohner and husband Mark of Guilford, and Siri Kloud and husband Daniel of New Canaan. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Jamie, Alexandra and Nina Bohner and Joshua, Meghan, and Madeline Kloud.
For Marie-Therese, her family always came first. Her children and grandchildren always knew that she loved them dearly. She enjoyed socializing with friends and was a wonderful cook and knitter. She volunteered as the receptionist at St. Catherine of Siena Church for many years.
A private service will be held at Evergreen Woods in North Branford. Leo P. Gallagher & Son in Greenwich is assisting the family with arrangements. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.