⭐ ▶️ Dr. Nelly Auersperg (1928-2023), Krebsforscherin und Großnichte der „Frau in Gold“

Dr. Nelly Auersperg ist am 15. Januar im Alter von 94 Jahren verstorben.

Nellys Vater Viktor.

Baronin Nelly Gutmann wurde am 13. Dezember 1928 in Wien als einzige Tochter von Baron Viktor Gutmann von Gelse und Belišće (1891-1946) und Luise Bloch-Bauer (1907-1998) geboren, die 1927 heirateten. Nelly bekam später einen jüngeren Bruder, Baron Francis Gutmann (1934-2014). Ihr Vater Viktor war Industrieller.

Nellys Großtante Adele, um 1920.

Nellys Großeltern väterlicherseits waren Baron Alfred Gutmann von Gelse und Belišće (1857–1919) und Ottilie Pollak von Rudin (1864–1921). Ihre Großeltern mütterlicherseits waren Gustav Bloch (1862–1938) und Marie Therese Bauer (1874–1961). Nellys Großtante war Adele Bloch-Bauer, die von Gustav Klimt gemalt wurde und deren Geschichte im Film Die Frau in Gold von 2015 erzählt wurde , in dem Helen Mirren die Hauptrolle spielte, die Nellys Cousine Maria Altmann darstellte.

Am 30. Mai 1955 heiratete Baronin Nelly von Gutmann in Vancouver Prinz Johannes „John“ von Auersperg (1930–2017), einen Sohn von Prinz Eduard von Auersperg (1893–1948) und Gräfin Sofie von Clam und Gallas (1900–1980). Das Paar war 62 Jahre verheiratet. John und Nelly hatten zwei Kinder: Prinzessin Maria Elisabeth (geb. 1956; heiratete David Harris) und Prinz Eduard „Edward“ Viktor (geb. 1958; heiratete Nancy Andrews).

Hier ist der Nachruf auf Dr. Nelly Auersperg aus der Vancouver Sun :

AUERSPERG, Nelly, MD/PhD 13. Dezember 1928 (Wien) – 15. Januar 2023

Letzten Sonntag ist unsere geliebte Nelly Auersperg nach langer Krankheit friedlich aus dem Leben geschieden. Sie und ihre Familie waren dankbar, dass sie die letzte Zeit gemeinsam genießen konnten.

Nellys Vater Viktor (Gutmann), ihre Mutter Luise (geb. Bloch Bauer), ihr Bruder Francis und ihr Ehemann John starben bereits vor ihr. Sie hinterlässt ihre Tochter Maria (David), ihren Sohn Edward (Nancy) und ihre sechs Enkelkinder Anthony, James, Elizabeth, John, Steven und Natalie sowie viele andere, die sie während ihres unglaublichen Lebens berührt hat. Sie war überaus dankbar für die Gelegenheit, zwei Urenkel, Ada und Henrik, in den Armen zu halten, und freute sich über die Gewissheit, dass noch weitere folgen werden.

Nelly enjoyed a privileged childhood, but also experienced the horrors of war, revolution and loss. After eventually making her way to Vancouver, she obtained her MD degree (U of Washington) and PhD (UBC). She spent six decades in cervical and ovarian cancer research; a pioneer in her field, publishing over 200 research papers, and mentoring over 60 students, post-doctoral fellows and lab technicians, all of whom she lovingly and proudly referred to as her children. She was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from SFU, UBC Lifetime Achievement Award, AMS of UBC Great Trekker Award, and had an OVCARE symposium and an award in Women’s Health Research named in her honour. She was a trustee of the BC Foundation for Non-animal Research.

In 2016, she travelled to Croatia, and successfully honoured her late father’s final request to have his unjust death sentence imposed in 1945 overturned.

Nelly continuously displayed her gratitude for the life she was able to live in Canada. She set up three charitable foundations, providing respite for families affected by autism, housing for people suffering from homelessness and mental illness in Vancouver, and cervical cancer care in Uganda. In her nineties, she still found energy to contribute to and help translate into English a Croatian economics textbook about her childhood hometown of Belisce, and also helped spearhead the campaign to acquire a Shakespeare first folio for the UBC Special Collections library.

She did not live for work alone, enjoying the outdoors, skiing, sailing, gardening and reading. She also found time for family and was always there when needed, caring for her children and introducing her grandchildren to culture and the arts, Disneyland and the opportunity to travel. She and they especially treasured visits to the town she lived in Croatia, where she showed each of them something of their roots and the place where so much happened during and after the war to shape her life and their heritage.

She passed away at age 94, remaining inquisitive, feisty and alive until her final hours. She even relished watching the Canucks finally win a game just hours before she left us.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mercy Tenerio and Dr. Geoffrey Edwards for so many years of kindness, dedication and patience, to staff and friends at Tapestry, to Dr. Jason Park, and to the many staff at Vancouver General Hospital for their kind and tender care.

Funeral mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (2465 Crown Street, Vancouver) on Tuesday, January 24 at 12 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club from 3:30 p.m.