Born in Vienna, Austria, she was the daughter of Ernst Reuser, a civil engineer in both Europe and Indonesia and Else Reuser, a multi talented painter, poet and opera singer. As a young girl she lived through WW2 in Vienna and fled to the outskirts with her family when their home was invaded by Russian soldiers. A graduate of Sacre-Coeur in Vienna, Insulinde pursued a career in acting performing at the world famous national theater of Austria (Burgtheater) and then continued on to co-star in several Austrian films. One special evening, she was serendipitously introduced by a friend to Sidney J Albert, a candy and fancy foods importer from New York. They instantly became best friends saw each other often until a grand romance ensued. Soon after that she moved to the US with Sid. Starting out in New Rochelle, NY and eventually moving to Greenwich, CT they found their forever home and filled it with so much love. 1n 1962 she gave birth to her only child, Ernest Albert and she continued to live in Greenwich for the reminder of her life.
Born into old European culture, Insulinde was a worldly class act. She travelled far and wide throughout Europe, the Far East, Malaysia, South America and the US. She would travel by ship between the US and Italy on the Italian line where she met so many of her life-long friends with whom she loved to gather anywhere, any place, any time. For decades they would gather every Wednesday for her famous “Coffee Clutch” lunch. Always with a fun and interesting story to tell, she was the life of the party.
She was a founding member of the Bailiwick Club in Greenwich and enjoyed tennis, swimming, dancing, cultural cuisine and of course hosting parties. She would host and Indonesian”Ricetaffel” every year with no less than 40 unique dishes served with the rice. Everyone would come in costume and it was tradition for decades.
Life was wonderful until the passing of her beloved husband Sidney in 1983. This was the hardest blow she ever suffered in life but she did not fall apart. She picked herself up, took financing courses and learned how to invest. She did so with much success for the rest of her days. Nearly 40 years after Sid’s death she remained true to him as the “love of her life” and never faltered from her devotion to his love and memory.
She consistently attended weekly mass at St Mary’s and St Paul's in Greenwich. She loved to visit her mom and husband at the cemetery and made sure that their graves were always impeccable. She loved animals with a passion and owned many dogs in her life. She gave generously to over 25 different animal charities and her backyard bird feeder was also the daily party amongst squirrels and feathered alike. She was strong, upbeat and incredibly generous with both her time and her assets. She was a cornerstone to her friends and family and was adored by all that new her well. She will be remembered for her strength, kindness, elegance and charm but most of all for her gigantic heart which loved big, very big..
She is survived by her son Ernest Albert and her daughter in law Anne Bosak Albert and grand-daughters Jane and Kate Gerstner; as well as her relatives Marc Albert and Wendy Albert.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Insulinde on Friday, July 1st, at 10:30 am at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 469 North Street, Greenwich, CT 06830.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to one of her favorite charities: the ASPCA
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