Asger Gunnar Bagge Obituary (1940

Camden, Maine.--The life of Captain Asger G. Bagge, Royal Danish Navy, Ret., 83, beloved husband of Deborah and dear bror, far, and morfar, ebbed gently and peacefully away with the outgoing tide on Sunday, 18 February 2024, from complications of advanced dementia. In his passing as in his life, Deborah was beside him. He was born in Denmark to H.G.P. and Sigrid scant weeks before that nation was invaded and occupied by Nazi forces. At war's end Asger attended local schools in Brondbyvester, later graduating from gymnasium at Gentofte Statsskole. Having taken a year to ply the waters around Denmark with his uncle aboard the F/V STELLA POLARIS, he entered the Royal Danish Naval Academy in 1960. Graduating as a 1st lieutenant, he remained in the Royal Danish Navy for 35 years, serving as a line officer and later commanding officer aboard virtually every class of ship, also taking his turn studying and teaching in RDN schools, taking long courses with the Royal British Navy and the U.S. Navy, plying the waters from the Baltic to the Faroe Islands to Newport to Bermuda, serving as squadron commander, working in the RDN Operational Command and the Danish Defense Command, participating in numerous NATO exercises, representing the RDN on government committees, representing Denmark in NATO meetings, and representing the Danish Defense on the Commission for Scientific Investigations in Greenland. As a lieutenant he became a charter member of Selskabet Danske Tordenskiold-Venner; he remained a member of Soe-Lieutenant-Selskabet throughout his life. Asger was justifiably proud of his many sailing accomplishments, which included participating in the Bermuda Race and the Transatlantic Race aboard the 62-foot HDMS THYRA and crewing aboard friends' J/42 from Camden, Maine, to Ireland by way of the Azores. Having first encountered the Princess Margrethe while on a Scouting expedition in Jylland as a teenager, he later met Queen Margrethe II of Denmark on many naval occasions. Asger particularly enjoyed recounting a 1984 incident while he was commanding the corvette HDMS OLFERT FISCHER during the queen's state visit toPortugal. As the festivities ended and he bade farewell to the queen, she leaned toward him and, alluding to the corvette's scheduled midnight departure, sang "skibet skal sejle i nat" (the ship sails tonight) to him. For his service in her majesty's navy, Asger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the 1st degree and the Navy Long Service Medal. In the 1990s Asger emigrated to the United States with his wife, Deborah. As the couple worked their way to New England, he charmed employers from landscapers to call center managers, landing jobs for which a lifetime of command prepared him abundantly. In "retirement" in Maine he served on town committees; sang baritone in the Windjammer Barbershop Chorus and the Starboard Watch Quartet; started his own tax preparation business; sailed with friends in the United States and abroad; continued his education by joining the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations and Senior College;participated keenly in war protests and marches; volunteered with the Penobscot Bay Stewards, the WindowDressers, and Atlantic Challenge/Apprenticeshop sailing programs; and embraced camp caretaking in addition to home repair. His home repairs were invariably ingenious, thrifty, and functional, though not always elegant. Apart from these varied activities, anyone who met Asger swiftly learned that he was passionate about sailing, history, politics, our shared humanity, and the environment. Never shy and perpetually curious, he took great pleasure in conversing with strangers, treating everyone as a colleague, someone he could learn from, or someone he could educate--often simultaneously. He celebrated diversity while finding in most settings a reason to voice his belief that people are more alike than we are different. Because of his respect for others, he also respected their life choices. Asger is renowned for his natural sailing prowess, strong opinions, dry humor, constant punning, and his dignity. His energy and vitality are legendary, as is the speed with which he could fall asleep, not infrequently with a book or newspaper in his hands. He threw himself into any productive endeavor but shunned motion for its own sake . . .unless it involved sailing. Physically imposing in stature, constitution, and presence (Viking!), and not at all soft-spoken, he was also well-endowed with a sharp wit and an even sharper intellect. In short, Asger was a force majeure. He was also a paradox. That he was large in so many dimensions disguised the fact that he was compassionate, humble, and selfless. Asger was a devoted husband, brother, father, morfar, and friend. He willingly and silently assumed the mantle of responsibility, always holding himself to account. Years after his dementia diagnosis, Asger remained engaged and--infallibly considerate and the consummate naval officer--dignified, polite, and thankful for the care he was obliged to receive. Fluent--and loquacious--in a handful of languages, he never relinquished his verbal ability or his desire to connect with people. For aphysically active, dynamic person who had always lived with purpose and vitality, the limitations of dementia and physical decline were baffling and dispiriting. Still, he retained his quirky sense of humor and courteousness far longer than could be expected of someone disappearing behind dementia. In the end, none of us who loved Asger was ready to say good-bye to him, but he himself could bear no more. He had given his all to this life. Now our Viking has reached the far shore and already embarked on his next sailing adventure. Asger was predeceased by niece Emelia Park and brother-in-law Henning Kibenich. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Deborah Oliver Bagge; daughters Christine Petersen (Bjarne) and Johanne Bagge (Lars Thorup Larsen); granddaughters Sally, Ellen, Ronja, and Vera; siblings Torben Bagge (Marianne), Bjarne Bagge (Elin), and LisbethKibenich; sisters-in-law Denise (Alan) Parsons and Janet Oliver; his U.S., Danish, and French nieces and nephews; many dear cousins; dear friends and caregivers; and naval colleagues around the world. Deborah and the family extend our gratitude for the extraordinary compassion and care provided us by deeply committed health care professionals, loving friends, and a supportive community. You gave us your very best, for which we thank you. The Rev. Lael Sorensen and the Rev. Michael Wu will preside over a Thanksgiving for and Celebration of Life beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 23 March 2024, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 11 White St., Rockland, ME. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box C, Rockland, ME 04841; Maine People's Alliance (https://mprc.me/donate/); the Apprenticeshop sailing programs (https://www.apprenticeshop.org/donate); or the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (https://www.theaftd.org/).2d:{"dateTime":"2024-03-23T15:00:00","co