Irmeli Ivalo Sjölje passed away on November 28th in Helsinki, Finland at the age of 92. She will be greatly missed around the world by the Urantia Book reader community and many others from all walks of life. In 2007, Irmeli was appointed an Associate Trustee of Urantia Foundation and also served as a Urantia Book ambassador for the Foundation. She traveled widely, attending conferences and study groups, and assisting with many bookfairs.
Over the decades, Irmeli worked faithfully to disseminate The Urantia Book in her home country of Finland as well as in Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. She lived in Brazil for 20 years and played a significant role in facilitating the printing of the Portuguese translation. After teaming up with Werner Sutter (a German/Canadian Urantia Book reader) in 1999, they devoted their lives to assisting with book distribution in Europe. Irmeli was also instrumental in the creation of a book placement project in Dallas, Texas.
Irmeli was a diplomat’s daughter and traveled the world with her parents. She was an accomplished linguist at a young age, completing her college studies in six languages. She studied homeopathy in Norway, earned a degree in chemistry at São Paulo’s State University in Brazil, and was an active member of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy, becoming known as the “godmother of logotherapy” according to the Frankl Institute. (Logotherapy is based on the premise that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find meaning in life.)
Irmeli was the head of the control laboratory at Astra do Brasil, the head of the department for clinical trials at Radium Hospital in Oslo, Norway, a teacher of homeopathy at the institute of natural medicine in Helsinki, Finland, and a board member of Victor Frankl Institute of Logotheraphy in Texas, USA.
“She was the epitome of European elegance, education, style and individuality which is becoming increasingly rare these days. And wit!” – Dr. Alexander Batthyany
Farewell Irmeli. You’ve had wonderful innings in your selfless and generous service to humanity and to the Urantia revelation. We wish you well in your ongoing adventure.