 He was born in Nydalen, Aker as a son of Swedish immigrant Gothard Aspengren (1876–1925), who worked at Christiania Spigerverk, and cleaner Thora Aspengren (1881–1961).His father died from a working accident when Tor Aspengren was eight years old.Nonetheless, he started working there at age 14, and remained there from 1931 to 1948.