Elisabeth Engel

Our Mother’s Wonderful Life, A Legacy of Love

Elisabeth Engel, age 102, of Silver Spring, Maryland passed away peacefully on January 30, 2025. Born Elisabeth Benjamin-Rasmussen on August 20, 1922 in Hamburg, Germany, Elisabeth escaped to England on the children’s Kindertransport in 1939 at age 16, on the cusp of World War II in Europe. During the War, Elisabeth lived with her mother in London during the time of air raids, bombing, blackoutrules, and rationing. Despite the Blitz, Elisabeth first was trained and worked as a nanny for children in an orphanage. She then worked as a welder, becoming a supervisor to ensure the single-seat Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes of the Royal Air Force would go unseen in the night by welding metal covers to hide exhaust flames to avoid being shot down by the Germans. 

Elisabeth met Peter Engel, an Austrian-born free-Czechoslovakian soldier while he was on mission during the War. They married in London after the War, in 1948, and shortly after emigrated to the U.S to New York City. They started their family on Long Island, NY, moving to Tenafly, NJ in 1960.

Together they created many wonderful and cherished family memories. 

Elisabeth had a kind, loving, cheerful, and gentle personality, with a fierce and unwavering commitment to her family, often saying her greatest accomplishment was her three children. Elisabeth was an outdoors enthusiast, who loved, as she would say, to get her “dose of fresh air” daily. She introduced her children to the Catskill Mountains and the beautiful areas of upstate NY and New England. She belonged to many walking groups, often taking daily treks through areas along the cliffs of the Hudson River. Elisabeth was a talented artist with a knack for giving away many of her paintings, carvings, crocheted- and needle-work to friends and neighbors. Elisabeth was an avid reader, who would always be in the midst of reading at least two novels during any week. She also worked as a bilingual secretary for several major corporations. 

After the passing of her husband, Elisabeth became a resident of Surf City, NJ, where she met her second husband, Edward Hurley, and they eventually moved to Gaithersburg, MD. They enjoyed taking many trips around the United States. They enjoyed volunteering in their community together and after Ed passed away in 1999, Elisabeth continued her volunteerism and remained an avid walker, walking at least a mile every day at Seneca Creek State Park.

Elisabeth is survived by her son, Robert (Ileesa) Engel, her son Richard (Leslie) Engel, and her daughter, Dorelle. She was blessed with six grandchildren, Peter Engel, Michael (Violet) Engel, Samantha (Andrew) Engel, Alexander Engel, David (Wakana) Hall, and Adam (Alma) Engel and two great grandchildren, Charlotte and Elisabeth. 

Elisabeth’s memory will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew her. She leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness that continues to inspire us all. 

Memorial donations may be made to “Friends of Seneca Creek State Park" in the form of a check and sent to Seneca Creek & Patuxent River State Parks, Monocacy Natural Resource Management Area, 11950 Clopper Road Gaithersburg, MD 20878.