Obituary for Ellen Ringier
Dear Ellen
You were one of the kindest people I have ever met. Everything positive that can be said about someone applied to you. You were a role model. A fighter. A friend.
Now you, the founder of Fritz+Fränzi, our Foundation Board President and wonderful boss, have passed away. We are stunned. We miss you so much.
Today you are with us. In our grief, in our tears. Tomorrow you will be with us: in our memories, in our hearts.
That's how you were, dear Ellen. Confident. Fierce. Unwavering. A fine person.
The last time we saw each other was a year ago in April. It was a Wednesday. We met for lunch by the lake. You talked about your daughters and grandchildren. About your next trips. How much you were looking forward to the summer and the days at the Atlantic. And that you had pain in your shoulder but the doctors didn't know what was wrong.
Two months later, we found out about your illness. Your news hit us completely unexpectedly: «I've always told my children that it's not always just the others who can be affected, but also us sometimes. Now the time has come and I'm accepting the challenge. Too bad it's this cancer. Unlucky that there are already many metastases. And luck? That I'm in the hands of the world's best doctors, that I don't have any financial worries and that I have a family around me who will help me wherever they can! From tomorrow it's back to the drawing board:The chemo starts!»
That's how you were, dear Ellen. Confident. Fierce. Unwavering. A fine person.
You owe the ability to face things openly and favourably to your parents. They taught you that life requires a certain amount of humility and resilience. A mental and physical resilience to endure things and cope with everything. «They could have let me jump out of an aeroplane with a parachute anywhere - I would have put down roots in any corner of the world,» you once said.
Your grandfather's words have shaped you: «Life is always about giving other people a chance.» Thanks to him and your parents, you became the social and committed person you have been all your life.
In 2001, you set up the Stiftung Elternsein foundation. You asked yourself what was really needed in this country to help families. You realised that Switzerland didn't have a family ministry. You wanted to close this gap. «With Fritz+Fränzi, I want to support parents in their parenting skills and create an understanding in society of what it means to raise children today.» That's how you explained your «printed social project» back then.
Then you got going. And how! You invested 2.6 million francs from your private assets in the Elternsein Foundation. You worked up to 20 hours a day. You acquired all the adverts yourself. And raised money. Many millions. For the Elternsein Foundation. And for countless other organisations.
You were unrivalled when it came to collecting money. Some called you persistent, some called you pushy. «I would call it persistent,» is how you described yourself. «I don't want to force anyone's luck, but sometimes I need an extra word to make people realise what I'm all about.»
We will continue your life's work, we promise you that.
You were a great boss. Attentive, appreciative. At every meeting, you gave me a stack of newspaper articles with «inspiration», as you called it. At Christmas, you gave each of us a handwritten card with personal words from you. And a Christmas present. Your generosity was legendary, your passion for our magazine boundless: «I would do anything to let people know that Fritz+Fränzi exists.»
Dear Ellen, you have achieved an unimaginable amount and even more. Fritz+Fränzi is now the biggest parenting guide in Switzerland. With your magazine, you have accompanied hundreds of thousands of parents through challenging and happy times with their child. Thank you for allowing us to accompany you on your journey through life. We promise you that we will continue your life's work.
The great Peter Bichsel was asked in one of his last interviews whether love is gone when someone dies. «Not love, no. I still love my wife. I think: I have to tell Therese that, and then she's not there.»
That's what we're afraid of, dear Ellen. How often will we think: «We have to tell Ellen that.» And then you're not there. Goodbye, dear Ellen, we will miss you every second.
On behalf of your Fritz+Fränzis
Nik Niethammer
Editor-in-Chief
In silent mourning and gratitude
Board of Trustees of the Parenthood Foundation
