Obituary of Josephine Fladager

Josephine “Jo” Fladager, age 91, died peacefully with family beside her while in hospital on March 24, 2022, near her retirement home in Lake Oswego, OR, after a short illness. She was the fifth of six daughters born to William Joseph and Tekla (Johnson) Wisdom, in Brooklyn, NY. She enjoyed being a diligent student at the local schools and then pursued available business classes including at Columbia University. Her organizational and leadership skills landed her a position as an executive assistant to the President of an insurance company.

She met Per-Arne “Arnie” Fladager (2018) via mutual friends at Columbia, and they married in August, 1954, and shortly thereafter moved out of the city to raise their four children: Kaaren (2015) of Oakland, CA, Kyle of San Jose, CA, Kristin (2012) of Boulder Creek, CA, and Karol of Lake Oswego, OR. Their children were all given the initials “K.T.F.” with the family joke that the hand-me-down initials didn’t have to be changed. Jo was involved in her childrens’ Boy & Girl Scout Troops and schooling, enjoyed sewing clothes for family and activities, gardening, and spending time with good neighbors & friends. Her beautiful roadside rock garden was enjoyed by passerbys. She passed her love of cooking, textiles, and gardening on to her daughters.

After moving via a cross-country drive from Ridgefield, CT, to Saratoga, CA, in 1973, Jo & Arnie frequently visited the East Coast to visit family and also travelled to Ireland, but they spent the majority of their time with many stay-cations around CA, time with their children & grandchildren, and visits to Oregon.

Jo enjoyed many activities through-out her life including pursuit of an A.A. in Early Childhood Education and a part-time job at the local elementary school, singing in the church choir at Prince of Peace in Saratoga, CA. She joined sewing & quilting circles and cooked & baked for family and friends including specialty Scandinavian cookies. Later in life, her senior circle friends & gatherings were a joy to her and she wrote their newsletter. She also had a vegetable garden & fruit trees, loved going to the Coast, shopping, and visiting the local library for books and movie options. She was a two-time breast cancer survivor and an advocate for healthy eating but loved her sweets too. She always had a curiosity to learn new things, a direct sense of humor, had amazing resilience up until the end, and always had a very strong sense of self.

She leaves her loving grandchildren Michael and Jessica Gardner, Sophia Nieser, and Kai and Colleen Murata. Both Jo and Arnie always expressed how very pleased they were with their son-in-laws: Bill, John, and Marty.

There will be a private service with family and friends at Madronia Cemetary in Saratoga, CA, during the summer of 2022.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society or charity of your choice.