Agnete Dinesen Huestis

Agnete (Nielsen Dinesen) Huestis died peacefully Saturday March 23rd in the presence of her daughter Charlotte Leedom. She was 91 years old. Agnete was born in Aalborg, Denmark on November 5th, 1932, daughter of Knud Villy Nielsen Dinesen and his wife, Lili Marion Evelyn Andersen. Agnete was the oldest of four children. She completed her schooling in Denmark and went on to obtain her Registered Nursing degree. In 1958, Agnete went to Paris, France for 2 years where she did private nursing and worked at the American Hospital. In 1960, she came to the United States through an international nursing exchange program for a 2-year placement at Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital, now UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital (Pittsburgh, PA), followed by Newark Presbyterian Hospital (Newark, NJ), and then Buffalo General Hospital (Buffalo, NY) as an operating room nurse. Agnete would tell the story that she and her friend, Kisse, had picked several cities for this program such as New York, and Boston, but at the last minute, Agnete added Pittsburgh as an option because they had a “renowned Philharmonic Orchestra.” So, to Kisse’s surprise they were sent to Pittsburgh.

While in the United States, Agnete met her future husband, John R. Huestis. They wed on Nov 6th, 1961, in Buffalo NY, where they lived until 1962. John bought and restored an old Stover Mill in Point Pleasant, PA. They moved there in July of 1962 and had two children, Jesse, and Charlotte. Agnete became a US Citizen in 1967. She and John divorced and Agnete and the children moved to Buckingham, PA where she lived for the next 50 years.

For four years in the late seventies, Agnete worked as an interpreter/guide for the US State Department accompanying and translating for Danish dignitaries visiting the United States. Agnete was fluent in Danish and English, spoke and read French, had studied and spoken German, and some Spanish. She was a member of the Alliance Francaise Doylestown for many years.

In 1975, Agnete became a Real Estate Agent because her nursing license was unable to be transferred to the US. She later worked to become a Real Estate Broker in 1981 and ultimately received recognition for 45 years of work in the field. Agnete had many loyal clients and friends whom she treasured that came out of that career. She worked at Wynne James Real Estate, Dale James RE, Elizabeth James RE and then Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Realty (Lahaska, PA).

Known for her loyalty, wit and caring, Agnete will be dearly missed. She was a wonderful friend, mother, grandmother, and trusted confidante. Agnete was capable of seeing where she wanted to go in her mind’s eye and making it happen. She was a world traveler, a daring person who embraced life, experienced many wonderful adventures, and generously shared with the people whom she loved. Agnete had a knack as a host, was a gourmet cook, was lovely and artistic in her presentation of self and home, enjoyed reading and writing, the arts, her family, friends, gardening, her cats and the beauty of Bucks County. Agnete was preceded in death by her parents Knud and Lili; her sisters, Charlotte Pedersen and Louisa Olsen; and her brother Anders Dinesen. Agnete is survived by her children Jesse Huestis (wife Wendy), Charlotte Leedom (husband, Ken), her grandchildren Joshua and Nicole Huestis, and Maya Leedom. Additionally, she is survived in Denmark by her nephews, Henrik Stein, Michael, Carsten and Morten Olsen, Christian Dinesen, and Jens Dinesen.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Wrightstown Friends Meeting House in Wrightstown, PA at 11 am on Saturday May 18th with a small reception after at the Meeting’s Social Hall. Zoom access will be available for those who wish to attend remotely. Please contact Charlotte Leedom if you would like to be given a link. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made in memory of Agnete Huestis to the SPCA of Bucks County. https://buckscountyspca.org/ways-to-give/

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