A. Elizabeth "Liz" Mugge

Alma Elizabeth "Liz" Mugge, 92, a resident of Assisted Living in the Arbor Ridge section of Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, succumbed to dementia and other maladies on Saturday, August 29, 2020. She is survived by her children Robert Mugge (Diana), John Mugge (Nan), Dr. Frances Gill, and Paul Mugge (Mai); grandchildren Eric, Julia, Robert, Richard, Evelyn, Nicholas, and Daniel; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Robert Herman Mugge, her brother Edwin Messersmith, and her
son-in-law Eldon Gill.

Liz Mugge was born in Birmingham, Alabama on October 15, 1927. In spite of her family's rough circumstances during the Depression, she was largely a straight-A student. On June 14, 1947, she married Robert H. "Bob" Mugge of Tampa, Florida. She was a devoted wife, supporting him as he earned his doctorate in Sociology, while accompanying him from Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA; Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, NC; and finally to Kemp Mill Estates in Silver Spring, MD in November of 1959. As Liz's children reached their teens, Liz returned to school, earning an associate's degree from Montgomery College. From there, she worked as a tax preparer, then as an administrative assistant, and finally as a professional for the National Cancer Institute at NIH, retiring only because her husband was retiring, and they wanted to attend cultural events and travel the world together for as long as possible. She also was socially and politically active and a tireless family archivist, committed gardener, excellent cook, patient teacher of children and grandchildren, regular volunteer at her beloved Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, and dear friend and relative to many. Liz and Bob were the most loving and attentive parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents imaginable. When Bob descended into dementia, she was his devoted caretaker until his death in April of 2006. Liz Mugge's family members will miss her terribly, yet know that her deep religious faith has sustained her into her next great adventure. By her own arrangement, her ashes will be interred beside those of her husband in the Columbarium at the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in Silver Spring, and a celebration of her life will take place there once the pandemic has receded, and family and friends can gather safely in her memory.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor the memory of Liz Mugge may do so by making a gift to The Lutheran Church of St. Andrew: https://www.mystandrew.org/give/