Liv Lönning Breña

Liv Lönning Breña passed away on May 29, 2022 after 90 years and an adventurous life.

Born in Norway in 1932, Liv grew up in Oslo with her parents Christian and Alfhild and her sister, Lise. There, she lived through World War II and the German Occupation. 

At just age 24, Liv left her family to travel across the world to America. She worked as a physical therapist at a hospital in New Jersey where she met her husband, Guillermo, a physician.  

Her next adventure took her south, driving through Central America with Guillermo to his home country of Peru.  They welcomed their first child, Jose, while living with family in the Andes Mountains and Lima.

After a few years, they returned to the United States to Massachusetts and welcomed their daughters Anne Elizabeth, Helen, and Christine, before settling in Bedford, NH in 1968.  They remained there for 54 years.  

Family was most important to Liv and she held them close, whether they lived in New Hampshire, Norway, Peru or beyond. Liv welcomed her children’s spouses Meg, Jimmy and Bill as treasured family members and celebrated each new grandchild into her life:  Alex, Kate, Josh, Caleb, Stina, Maria, Sam and Paul.  The recent birth of her great-granddaughter, Lulu, brought her great joy.

Liv had a devoted family and a wide circle of friends.  She loved welcoming people into her home by serving special dishes such as Swedish meatballs, Norwegian Christmas cookies and strawberry cake.  She shared thoughtful gifts and engaging conversation and was known for making guests feel special and loved through her kindness and warmth.

Our family is grateful for Liv’s 90 years with us. She enriched our lives immensely, instilling in us a love for the outdoors, hiking, skiing, travel, animals and adventure. Liv was a life-long learner and prioritized education.  Each birthday she gave carefully chosen books to help foster a love of reading.  She taught us to appreciate art, classical music, nature, flowers, and the importance of continuing to grow as people throughout our lives.

Our vacations took us on adventures and to family around the world and throughout New England.  She instilled in us a strong sense of civic responsibility and appreciation for the democracy of her adopted country, while remaining fiercely proud of her Norwegian heritage. 

Most of all, she showed us how to be strong, independent and proud, while remaining gentle, sweet and kind.  The loss of Liv in our world is an immense one. We will proudly continue her memory through the many gifts she imparted to us.