Emilie (Mimi) Bauer Behrens

January 1, 1935 - November 3, 2024
Mimi Behrens passed away peacefully in her 90th year, on November 3, 2024, surrounded by her family in Brewster, MA. She was born in Annapolis, MD to the late Gladys (Jackie) Boyd Bauer, a fashion illustrator, and the late Harry F. Bauer, Lt. Commander of the US Navy, who was lost with his ship in Guadalcanal in WWII and later had a Navy destroyer named in his honor that saw action at Okinawa.
    Mimi’s life was one of kindness, beauty, culture and service. She grew up in Arlington, VA, attended Washington & Lee High School and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1957 with a Fine Arts Degree. After college, she began her career as an editor at Good Housekeeping magazine in New York City, where she met her husband and true partner in adventure, the late Robert M. Behrens. They shared 63 wonderful years of marriage filled with laughter, love and discovery. Their life together took them around the world. They lived in Venezuela (5 yrs) and Mexico City (12 yrs) where Mimi immersed herself in each community with her characteristic energy and spirit. In Mexico, she served on the American School PTA, as President and on the Board of Directors. She also helped organize the beloved annual PTA Art Fair, held at the American Ambassador’s residence, was Stewardship Chair at Christ Church Episcopal, and was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader.
When the family returned to the United States in 1983, Mimi continued to live life to the fullest. She joined the Junior League of New Jersey, founded a culinary club celebrating international cuisines, and later became an active volunteer with the Chatham Historical Society.   She and Robert were part-time residents in Chatham for 20 years before retiring full-time to the Cape in 2000. They were avid travelers and visited many countries, including, China, Japan, Nepal, India, the former Soviet Union, Egypt, Greece, Croatia, as well as numerous countries in Western Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mimi had a gift for making everything beautiful, from her home and garden to the meals she prepared and the festive gatherings and celebrations she hosted. She was the “hostess with the mostest,” always stylish, sweet, gracious, and full of joy. She was a passionate collector and a champion story teller, full of tales and wares from her life, travels and her great love of history, music, theater and art. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend, ever giving, loving and attentive. Her warmth, humor, and creativity touched everyone who knew her and whose lives she brightened.
She is lovingly remembered by her daughters, 
Erica and Meredith Behrens, her former son-in-law, Bill Van Horn, her grandsons, Liam and Campbell Van Horn, and extended family and friends around the world. She will be laid to rest in Spring 2026 at Arlington National Cemetery alongside her beloved husband, Robert, and their son, Brien Behrens, who was disabled throughout his life and a source of deep love and devotion for his family.