Milvi R. Ojakaar of Maris Grove in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania died on Friday, April 29, 2022 at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Media.
She was born in Taagepera, Estonia on November 24, 1932 to Johannes and Armilda (Võlma) Kaldvee. She, with her family, fled Estonia to Germany near the end of WWII. They were settled in an occupation camp in the village of Gieslingen an der Steige where they lived for several years before immigrating to the United States in 1949 thanks to a sponsorship (Displaced Persons Act) from American contralto singer Marian Anderson.
Milvi spent her high school and college years living with her family in New York City, graduating from Hunter College in 1957 with a BA in Chemistry. In 1959 she married Leo Ojakaar. They raised their children, Linda and Erik, in Hockessin, Delaware where they continued to live for 50 years. Devoted to their Estonian culture they hosted an Estonian school out of their home for families in the region.
Milvi was an avid gardener and an accomplished watercolor artist. She painted what she loved and was known for her sensitive paintings of seasonal flowers and local landscapes. She was a devoted and long-time member of the Howard Pyle Studio Group in Wilmington, Delaware where she painted with fellow artists and helped to maintain the historic Pyle studios.
She was predeceased by her husband Leo Ojakaar in 2015.
Most importantly, she was a devoted and beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. Milvi leaves behind her daughter, Linda Ojakaar; son, Erik Ojakaar; daughter-in-law, Katrina Ojakaar; and granddaughter, Lila Ojakaar.
She will be buried at Union Hill Cemetery, in Kennett Square, PA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the UN Refugee Agency to help support displaced Ukrainians.
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