Marie-Hélène de Croy Obituary

de CROY, Marie-Hélène Marie-Hélène Leopold Elisabeth Anna de Croy, 95 , of Charleston, South Carolina, died on April 1, 2007 after a brief illness. Miss de Croy was born in Graz, Austria on January 11, 1912 to Prince Wilhelm Huber Ernst von Croy and Dezsire Clarissa Anna Stephanie Ronay de Zombor. Mahé, as she was affectionately known to her friends, lived a full and adventure-filled life. Her childhood was spent in Austria and Hungary. She was educated in a convent in Bruges, Belgium. In Bruges, she served as personal secretary to her cousin, Prince de Ligne. On his behalf, Mahé handled the social affairs for the Chateau Boliel. She was living in Bruges when it was occupied by the Nazi forces during World War II. In 1947 Mahé moved with her cousin to Delhi, where he served as the Belgian ambassador after the India's independence from the United Kingdom. Mahé had the opportunity to travel extensively in India and to make the acquaintance of Prime Minister Nehru. Mahé moved to New York City in 1953, when she accepted employment at the United Nations. After working in the UN personnel office for 20 years, she retired to Charleston. Mahé was an active volunteer for the Charleston Museum for many years. Mahé will be sadly missed by her many friends in Charleston, New York and around the world. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Charleston or the Charleston SPCA. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.