Grethe L. Izer

Grethe Izer, a loving wife and mother, passed away at age 92 at The Preston on Hilton Head. Grethe was predeceased by her beloved husband Howard in 2020. 

Grethe is survived by three sons, Robert Izer and wife Tricia of Indian Land, SC, William Izer and wife Carol of Hilton Head Island, SC and Thomas Izer and wife Laura Lee of Charlotte, NC.  In addition, she is survived by four granddaughters, eight great-grandchildren and six nieces and nephews. Grethe was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Halvor Lauritsen.

Grethe was born on September 2, 1932, in Tuxedo, NY to Dagmar and Halvor Lauritsen. After graduating Passaic High School in 1949, she attended Fairleigh Dickinson College in NJ and then worked at the local bank.  She met Howard, who served in the Korean War with the U.S. Army through September 1952, and they married in 1953.  They had three sons, Bob, Bill and Tom and raised them in Glen Rock, NJ. Grethe enjoyed playing golf at the Ridgewood Country Club and volunteering at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.   

After Howard took early retirement, Grethe and Howard moved to Hilton Head Island, SC in 1984.  Grethe was active in the Palmetto Dunes golf community, playing golf, bridge and participating in many events at the Palmetto Dunes Club. Grethe was an avid reader, a piano player and loved feeding the beautiful bluebirds that nested in their yard every year.  Together, Grethe and Howard exemplified kindness, generosity and love of family, friends, community and country. 

Grethe moved to The Bayshore on Hilton Head in 2022 and made many new friends and enjoyed participating in activities there, especially the sunset boat rides, happy hours, and meeting her friends for lunch. 

Grethe will be remembered for her thoughtfulness, vivacious spirit, great sense of humor, dazzling smile and her boundless love of family and friends. 

To her great-grandchildren, she will sweetly be remembered as their dear Gigi.

The family plans to have private services for both Grethe and Howard at a future date. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to Deep Well of Hilton Head or Wounded Warrior Project.