Monika Myers In memoriam
Monika as a young woman lying in the grass among pine trees, chin on her hands, smiling

MM

31 July 1939 — 24 August 2026
In memoriam

Monika Myers

31 July 1939 — 24 August 2026  ·  Berlin to Greensboro

Monika lived her 87 years with an astonishing spirit of adventure, determination, compassion, and a profound appreciation for beauty — in people, places, art, fashion, family, and, above all, in nature and her beloved garden.

She was a wonderfully free spirit who adored personal transformation, adventure, and the excitement of something new. She rarely backed down from her goals and always seemed ready for the next chapter, the next experience, and the next possibility.

We will miss her deeply — not only for the person she was, but for all the moments still left unwritten. We are grateful that she was ours and for the love that will remain with us always.

Her life, in chapters ↓

Berlin

1939–1960

Berlin was where Monika’s remarkable story began. Born one month before World War II, she grew up amid hardship, but also within the love of her mother and adored grandparents. After her father returned from captivity, she discovered that they shared the same great love of life and celebration. Then, at eighteen, she fell in love with Virgil and said goodbye to her family and all she had known, drawn across the ocean by love and the promise of a new life in America.

Her mother in a polka-dot dress leaning over baby Monika in a canvas cot
Baby Monika crawling in the sand, hair standing up
Christmas: small Monika on her father's lap, her mother beside them with a book, tinsel on the tree
Her father in a hat and long coat walking hand in hand with small Monika in a white coat, in a Berlin park
Monika as a small girl sitting on the sand with her father, a volleyball net behind them
Studio portrait of Monika as a young girl in a striped jumper, braids, smiling
Studio portrait of Monika as a child, grinning, with two long braids tied in white ribbon
Monika on her first day of school, holding a Schultüte, in front of the apartment blocks
Monika laughing on skis in deep snow among fir trees, poles in one hand
Monika in a belted coat looking up at her father in a hat, by a stone wall and fir trees
Monika in the pine woods, one arm raised to her hair, smiling into the sun
Monika in a swimsuit sitting on a blanket in a sunny meadow, smiling into the light
Monika in cat-eye sunglasses sitting on a plaid blanket in the long grass
Monika and a young man in sunglasses at a picnic on the dunes, cups in hand
Monika with a cigarette and the young man on a stone terrace above the lake
Monika in a polka-dot dress beside the Berlin bear mascot at a fair
Monika at a party with her mother, balloons and streamers, New Year
Monika in a shining satin dress with a stole, on Virgil's arm, he in a suit with a boutonnière
Monika in a pillbox hat hugging her mother cheek to cheek at the airport, leaving Berlin

Denver

1960–1969

Denver opened the door to an entirely new life. She and Virgil married in Las Vegas and welcomed their son within a year. While he pursued his master’s degree, she worked to support the future they were building together—and soon, with the arrival of their daughter, they were a family of four.

Monika and Virgil holding hands in a small wedding chapel, candelabra and white bows on the pews
Monika and Virgil on their wedding day, an older couple at either side, white bows on the pews
Monika and Virgil sitting on a wall, his arm around her, both laughing into the sun
Monika leaning out of the driver's window of a dark car, smiling
Monika laughing on a windy beach, one hand in her hair, a towel over her arm
Monika in sunglasses and pearls in front of a modern glass building
Monika in a striped sweater and sunglasses leaning on a chain rail with snowy mountains behind
Monika in an apron at the stove of a tiled kitchen, lifting the lid of a pot, smiling over her shoulder
Monika seated in an armchair in a pale dress, Virgil standing beside her, in their Denver living room
Monika in a striped blouse and pearls sitting on a stone wall beside a pond, trees behind
Monika and Virgil on the outside staircase of an apartment building, in the sun
Monika standing beside a large bush of roses in a park, looking down
Virgil, in glasses and a patterned sweater, crouched at a lakeshore feeding geese
Printed announcement card reading: Announcing the arrival of Mark Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. Virgil L. Myers, Jr., January 10th, 1961
Hospital photograph of newborn Mark Alexander Myers, eyes closed, one fist raised
Monika in a striped dress holding baby Mark on the front lawn, brick houses and a car behind
Virgil lying on the floor beside baby Mark, who sits upright on a blanket
Monika on a park bench with a small child on her lap
Monika in a red headscarf laughing on a sled in deep snow, a small child in a hooded snowsuit in front of her
A toddler in lederhosen running across a lawn toward the camera
Monika and Virgil on a sofa, a small boy in suspenders laughing on her lap, framed prints on the wall
Monika crouched beside a flocked Christmas tree, a small boy reaching for an ornament, a toy reindeer between them
Monika holding a newborn wrapped in white while a small boy in stripes leans in to look
Studio portrait of a baby in a white knitted bonnet and dark coat
A small girl in a white coat and red ribbons beside her brother in a red turtleneck, in an armchair
Monika and Virgil on a sofa with the two children, a picture of a boat on the wall behind
Monika holding her daughter beside a Berlin bear mascot on a city street, her son and mother alongside, theatre posters behind
Monika crouched on a lawn hugging Mark and a small Sabine, a German apartment block behind
The two children on wooden steps with a shaggy dog between them

Heidelberg/Haag

1969–1976

In Heidelberg/Haag, Monika embraced the unfamiliar rhythms of village life while raising two children and beginning a new career in book publishing. Even while finding her way, she moved forward with purpose and determination—and never lost her unmistakable sense of style.

Monika and the two children waving from the upper balcony of a white house, a red parasol at the corner
Monika in a zigzag-striped sweater on a balcony chair with a small Sabine beside her, a hillside village behind
Monika sitting on the floor with Sabine in her lap, a radiator behind them
Monika in a white headband holding a model glider aloft on a balcony
Monika in a striped sleeveless top with Mark on a sunny street of new houses
Monika in a white dress among family in a garden, cornfield and house behind
Monika laughing with a cigarette beside her mother at a table with a gingham cloth and a bunch of roses
Monika and her mother arm in arm under a flowered garden umbrella on a patio
Monika at the wheel of a pale Citroën parked below a hillside of houses and trees
Monika in a shirt and long beads, sunglasses pushed up on her head, a lake and trees behind
Close-up of Monika laughing, hair to her shoulders, in a satin collar
Christmas: Monika and a man in glasses on a sofa beneath a red lamp, Mark and Sabine standing in front
A man with a mustache, Mark and Sabine each holding a carnation
Monika in a fur hat on skis beside a man in sunglasses, Sabine in red leggings on small skis in front
Monika in pink walking barefoot at the edge of the sea
Monika in a pink headscarf and sunglasses on a slatted bench, photographed at a tilt
Monika, Mark and Sabine on the roof terrace of a French château among carved chimneys
Monika in round spectacles and red hair bows in a striped top, glass raised, at a party
Monika and a man in tinted glasses and a mustache smiling behind a bouquet of carnations at a party
Mark leaning on the Haag town sign, Monika in pink with her arms around Sabine, hills behind

Moline

1976–1981

In Moline, Monika guided her two children through their school years and into young adulthood. She found a new creative outlet in tole painting while building a career at John Deere with the same determination and energy she brought to everything she pursued.

Monika in a red coat and wool hat laughing as she hugs a lamppost in deep snow, children playing behind
Monika laughing in a lake in a life jacket, two water skis sticking up out of the water
Monika in a red coat pushing a shovel through deep snow, a car buried in the driveway behind her
Monika in a blue blouse and wide trousers on a garden chair by a fence of petunias
Monika bending over a cocker spaniel in a snowy garden
Monika in a striped blouse walking with her teenage son along a river, a city skyline behind
Monika between her two teenage children in front of the Christmas tree
Monika laughing on a sofa between her daughter and her mother, a row of small framed portraits above
Monika in a quilted rose coat arm in arm with her mother in brown, bare winter trees behind
Monika and her daughter in Pilgrim bonnets and collars behind a seated man in a Pilgrim hat holding a musket
Monika in a dark jacket and red blouse on a wooden bench beneath a hanging plant
Friends admiring a wooden chest hand-painted with floral folk medallions, held up in a living room
A tall painted wardrobe with floral panels and a Gothic inscription across the cornice
Monika on a sofa with sheets of drawings and prints spread in front of her
Monika in a dark jacket laughing behind an IBM typewriter, framed pictures on the wall
Monika in a white blouse, brown shawl and suede skirt laughing with a man in a suit in front of a striped painting
Monika in a white blouse, brown shawl and suede skirt shaking hands with a man in a dark suit in front of a striped painting
Monika laughing at the wheel of a yellow tractor cab
Portrait of Monika in a leopard-print scarf and beads, short curly hair, smiling
Monika in a grey knitted top laughing, a wrought-iron candelabra on the wall behind
Monika in a pink top with her cheek pressed to a rabbit she holds in both arms
Monika at a costume party in a sequined gown, feather boa and blonde wig, cigarette in hand, in front of bookshelves
Monika in a pale sweater and dark scarf holding a cigarette at a table, wood panelling behind
Monika in a pale mohair sweater at a table, chin on her hand, a glass of wine beside her
Monika in black with blue beads leaning over the chair of an older woman at a table
A man in a pale trench coat planting a realtor's sign in the front lawn of a house

Heidelberg

1981–1999

In Mannheim, Monika pursued a lasting career at John Deere, where she remained until retirement, while supporting her children as they found their own paths. She traveled widely, discovering the places and experiences she so deeply loved, and eventually fulfilled a dream of her own—a home in California and the promise of another new beginning.

Portrait of Monika in a coral jacket and pearls, short curly hair, laughing
Monika on a sofa between her teenage daughter and her mother, who leans in from behind in a red blouse
Monika with Mark and Sabine under a hand-painted banner reading Welcome to the Foreign Language House
Monika in a coral dress beside her son on a sofa, three glasses of champagne on the table
Monika in a straw hat and a tied animal-print shirt waving on a white beach, the Gulf behind her
Monika in a straw hat and sunglasses reading on a hilltop lawn above the rooftops of San Francisco
Monika in a dark hat and long beads leaning on a stone balustrade above a bay with a pier
Monika in a violet turtleneck with her son's hands on her shoulders in front of Sonoma City Hall
Monika at a restaurant table with her son and daughter, a basket of tortilla chips between them
Monika in a red blazer laughing with two friends at a painted fountain in an old German town square
Monika in a black coat laughing with one gloved hand on a stone cherub holding grapes
Monika in a trench coat leaning on a lamppost in front of the columns of St Paul's Cathedral, London
Monika with two friends on a cobbled lane of half-timbered houses under a sign reading Auberge du Rempart
Monika in a brown felt hat and purple shawl beside a white stone statue, her mother in a black beret next to her
Monika in a long dark coat and sunglasses at the railing above the skating rink in Central Park, towers behind
Monika in a grey coat laughing beside the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall while a man behind her chips at it with a hammer
Monika in a black and white cardigan holding up a lit birthday candle, a friend in a blue jacket laughing beside her
Monika laughing on the step of a carved hieroglyphic stela, arms out, her red jacket spread over her shoulders like a cape
Monika reclining in a wicker chair on the deck of a Nile cruise boat, cigarette in hand, laughing
Monika peeking out from behind a white-painted tree trunk in a garden of orange lantana, laughing
Monika in a red jacket and sunglasses at the feet of a colossal carved pharaoh at Abu Simbel
A painting on papyrus of a goddess in a horned sun-disc crown, a cartouche above
Monika in a straw hat with a pink band and an animal-print shirt, sitting cross-legged on the carpet beside a friend in a white dress and a hat with a blue ribbon, both laughing
Monika in a straw hat and sunglasses between her son and daughter on a beach below a cliff, two dogs on leashes
Monika in a navy blazer with a man in a rust jacket and a woman in black velvet, behind a luggage trolley in an airport terminal

Santa Barbara

1999–2002

Santa Barbara became the life Monika had imagined for herself. After retiring from John Deere, she tended her garden, traveled the world with friends, and embraced California wholeheartedly—working at Saks Fifth Avenue and in a fine-antique studio. It was a chapter of beauty, independence, and finding herself anew.

Monika in a wide straw hat and striped top sitting on the sand beside her daughter, rocks and a green slope behind them
Monika in sunglasses and a blue top with her son's arm around her on the beach, a flag flying above the rocks behind
Monika in white with her son at a café table under a striped umbrella, pink bougainvillea behind
Monika laughing in a garden lounge chair with a red dachshund-mix on her lap and a cigarette in her hand
Monika in a white shirt and pearls with her son's arm around her in a white gallery, a dark canvas on the wall behind
Monika in a black sleeveless dress, hair up, sitting cross-legged on a grey sofa, laughing
Monika laughing on a sofa with a small red dog on her lap, her son beside her with a black dog
Monika in a white shirt and enormous round glasses laughing in a kitchen under a skylight
Monika in profile at a restaurant table, silver hair swept up, laughing at someone off camera
Monika on a wooden bench in a meadow of yellow flowers, sunglasses pushed up, a posy in her hands
A small brick patio seen through a doorway, a glass table, a trellis of red-flowering vine and a hanging planter
Monika in a black top and red trousers on a stone stairway, holding a black-and-white cat in her arms, bougainvillea behind her
Monika in a dark blazer and white trousers, arm in arm with her daughter in a red vest, in an airport concourse beside a luggage cart
Monika with white hair and big sunglasses waving in front of the Pantheon in Rome, tourists all around
Monika with silver hair and large sunglasses on a bridge in Rome, the dome of St Peter's behind
Monika in a striped shirt and sunglasses before the columns of the Roman Forum
Monika in black on a cobbled bridge in Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo behind her

Naples

2002–2021

Naples was where retirement truly began. She formed lasting friendships, treasured the neighbors who became part of her daily life, and lovingly tended her beautiful garden. Here, too, she embraced one of the greatest joys of her life—becoming a grandmother.

The Naples house: white stucco and red tile under a tall palm, bougainvillea and red flowering shrubs along the front, a white umbrella on the terrace
The Naples house from the drive: a pergola heavy with bougainvillea, cypresses by the garage, a lantern on the brick paving
The Naples living room: ochre walls, a long dark bookcase either side of the fireplace, two pale sofas and a kilim
The Naples living room seen from the gallery above, a ceiling fan turning, the lanai beyond the glass
The front of the Naples house at Christmas, poinsettias along the terrace wall and a wreath on the gate
The lanai table set under an umbrella, bougainvillea overhead, the lake and its fountain beyond the lawn
A shaggy grey and white dog lying on the bed, a cane headboard behind
The shaggy dog sitting alone in the middle of the road in evening light, bougainvillea on the corner
Monika in red laughing beside a small boy in a monkey sweater, one candle on a cupcake
Monika in a navy dress on the tiled front step looking down at a small granddaughter in a pink flowered dress
Monika in pink on the beach beside her son, who holds a baby, the Gulf behind them
Three small grandchildren at the kitchen table with a birthday balloon, Thanksgiving 2014
A small grandchild in a red shirt running down the path after the older ones, the lake beyond
Monika in black sitting on the terrace wall at the gate, handing balloons to a small granddaughter in a pink dress
Monika in blue on the sofa between two small grandchildren, laughing at the one on her right
Monika in glasses at a picnic table with a small granddaughter in a black dress on her lap
Monika in a red jacket with a glass of champagne beside her daughter in a white shawl and her son, a dog on a lead
Monika in a purple shawl walking away down a park path beside a small granddaughter under a patterned umbrella
Monika in navy with long chains at a café table under a red awning, a granddaughter beside her
Monika in stripes laughing at a patio table at sunset, a lake and fountain behind her
A shaggy grey and white dog with black ears looking up at the camera, Monika's foot in a flip-flop beside it
Monika with a silver ponytail and dark glasses laughing down at a small granddaughter in a pink plaid dress on her lap
Monika with white hair laughing behind a tall white-flowering shrub at a plant nursery
Monika in a grey dress and big sunglasses under a black and white umbrella in a nursery in the rain
Monika in black with white hair holding a black and white cat in a gilt armchair
Monika in a straw hat and striped shirt with a friend in navy on a boardwalk among palms
Monika in a black shirt dress with a bright orange bag beside a silver Jeep in front of a stucco house

Greensboro

2021–2026

Monika came to Greensboro after her daughter’s family returned from Sweden and the world began to emerge from COVID. She longed to experience the seasons again—the changing leaves, the quiet beauty of winter, and perhaps even snow—and hoped for a gentler, more peaceful life. Here, surrounded once more by nature and her garden, her long and remarkable journey came to its close.

Monika in a pale pink jacket laughing behind a woman in glasses, a bloodhound bounding into the frame
Monika in a pink sweater and a mask with her daughter and son-in-law beneath a giant sunflower at an immersive Van Gogh exhibition
Monika and her daughter in masks in front of a wall of projected Van Gogh cypresses
A selfie from below against a grey sky: Monika with white hair laughing in the corner beside three friends
The Greensboro house under deep snow, icicles hanging from the gutters, the shrubs buried, a blue sky
A deep pink rose in full bloom with buds around it, against a wooden trellis in her Greensboro garden
Monika in a black suede shirt and pearls, white hair swept up, hands clasped, standing in a grey doorway
Her son in a black and white check shirt on a bench with a granddaughter in an Aloha T-shirt and purple glasses
Monika in white at the dinner table beside her daughter and a laughing granddaughter, hydrangeas and yellow roses in a vase
Monika today, white hair swept up, in a long white shirt, hands clasped, standing by a window with trees outside and blue hydrangeas beside her
Monika in navy holding a plate at a Thanksgiving buffet with wine bottles and a spray of red berries
Monika lighting the candles on a chocolate birthday cake with a granddaughter leaning across the table
A bank of black-eyed Susans and white phlox in her Greensboro garden at dusk
Pink roses climbing a wooden trellis against the clapboard wall
A black and white cat sitting on the rug by the window
The black front door, number 12, wrapped in red velvet ribbon with a bow for Christmas
Monika in a cream sweater and striped trousers at the farmers' market, her son-in-law on a crutch beside her
Monika through a phone filter: bright pink curls, small purple glasses and a gold chain, laughing
Monika through a phone filter: pink heart-shaped glasses, sparkles and a pout
Her daughter in a white coat with a granddaughter in a green hat beneath an arch of Christmas lights
A granddaughter in a graduation gown and purple stole, a 2026 tassel hanging from the mirror
Monika in a grey cardigan raising a small glass of something amber in front of a Christmas tree

Monika died in Greensboro on 24 August 2026. We are grateful for the years we shared, the memories we created, and the lasting ways she shaped our family.