Lucy is survived by the love of her life, her husband of 72 years, Clarence, and five children: Mark (Marjorie), David (Sherri), Thomas (Cindy), Sarah (Thomas) Notestine, and Peter (Julie); 11 grandchildren: Lillian (Pernoud), John David, Matthew, Eric, Emma (Carver), Christopher, Michael, John Mark, Jack, Jonas and Jeremy; and five great-grandchildren: Jordan, Holly, Zavier, Peyton and David.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Erland and Ragnhild (Johnson) Laingen; her brother, Erling Laingen; and her sister, Ruth (Laingen) Peterson.
The daughter of Norwegian immigrants, Lucy was born and raised in Minneapolis. A soprano, she had a soloist’s voice and, even as a teenager, sang at society weddings, funerals, Lutheran church services and other settings.
After high school, she attended and graduated from the Minnesota School of Business, whereafter she enrolled at the Minneapolis Conservatory of Music to study voice.
During World War II, Lucy worked as an executive secretary at a Minneapolis defense plant and at Fort Snelling. After the war, she transferred to the Veterans Administration, where she met Clarence, also a Minneapolis native, who had served honorably in the South Pacific with the U.S. Navy as a radioman second-class petty officer.
Upon marrying Lucy in 1950, Clarence began a distinguished career with the JC Penney Co. The couple and their growing family lived for years at a time in Detroit, Cincinnati, and upstate New York before settling for good in 1972 in Rochester. Throughout the years Lucy was a devoted wife and mother, a superb cook and homemaker, a faithful churchgoer, an avid reader, and a lover of history and the arts.
In retirement, she and Clarence traveled extensively on more than 20 elder hostels throughout North America and Europe.
Lucy was a prominent figure in Rochester civic affairs for decades. She sang and otherwise performed in many productions of the 650 Players and served with the Rochester Community House, the Rochester Symphony Guild, the St. John’s Lutheran Church Women’s Guild, the local Questers chapter, and the Women’s National Farm and Garden Association.
In addition, she volunteered for a myriad of other nonprofit organizations, including tutoring children in reading at McGregor Elementary School and serving as president of Inter-Church Women of Rochester.
But what Lucy was best known for were her 30-plus years of contributions to the Rochester Older Persons Commission (OPC), 23 of those years as the elected senior representative to the OPC governing board.
In October 2019, at age 93, she was honored for her service and commitment with a resolution presented by the mayor of the City of Rochester.
A tribute to Lucy in the Spring 2020 issue of the OPC’s Vintage Views opened with the line, “To meet Lucy Strand is to be drawn into a circle of warmth and friendship, a circle of light.” Those who knew and loved this exceptional woman would agree.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 28, at St. John Lutheran Church, 1011 W. University Drive, where Lucy and Clarence had been longtime members. A memorial service will follow at St. John at 11 a.m. A luncheon will be taking place at St. John Lutheran Church following a committal service at Mt. Avon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Lucy’s honor may be given to St. John Lutheran Church or the charity of one’s choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.pixleyfh.com for the Strand family.
