Elaine Harris

Elaine Diana Hewel was born in Queens, New York and grew up in Keene, New Hampshire. As an adolescent, Elaine loved Thanksgiving, Christmas, and summertime—all times that involved family (especially the cousins), the beach, or both. Elaine’s love of the beach, particularly Jones Beach, was inherited from her mom.

Elaine returned to Queens as a teen and later began her family. From a young age, family was everything to Elaine. She went on to become a devoted mother, making many of her children’s Halloween costumes, and a doting grandmother.

Elaine later lived in Georgia and Florida with her beloved husband Bill. By far, her favorite place to live was Florida’s Indian Rocks Beach where she and Bill enjoyed hosting parties, going for boat rides, and fishing—yes, Elaine enjoyed fishing! She always loved watching the sunsets from their dock, and there were some amazing ones. She enjoyed sharing the sunsets with her friends on Facebook. Elaine had a love of entertaining, for which she collected many recipes. If Elaine wasn’t cooking, then Food Network was on her television. She also enjoyed beading and sewing. In her last few years, Elaine even became a fan of Hofstra Basketball and enjoyed going to games.

After the passing of Bill, Elaine spent the majority of her time with her sister Darlene and her husband Rick, in Babylon, New York and became intertwined in their lives. She became a kind of second mom to their children George and Megan, their son-in-law Ryan, and their grandson Lincoln whom she absolutely enjoyed. She continued working for First Advantage, her employer of nearly twenty years, as a dedicated training specialist.

Elaine’s journey ended far too soon for everyone special in her life. She fought hard and tried everything she could to give her family more time with her. Her strength through her fight with lung cancer is an inspiration to us all.

Elaine died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, November 27, 2021 surrounded by her family’s love. She was determined to have a last Thanksgiving, which she celebrated two days prior to her passing.

Poet Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.” Every time any of Elaine’s grandchildren would video chat or call, she immediately lit up. She loved and was extremely proud of all of them. She called her youngest grandchild, Cole, whom she immediately fell in love with, “a joy.” Reading the words some of her grandchildren said about her tells you so much about Elaine and the impact she made.

When asked what the world needs to know about Elaine, they highlighted her “kindness,” “niceness,” and “being the Best Grandma Ever.”

When asked about what they aspire to be, they responded that they hoped to be as “nice,” “kindhearted,” and “beautiful” as Elaine.

When asked what type of pie Elaine would be, they responded, “cherry,” “strawberry,” and “none, because then she couldn’t speak to me because she’d be pie!” Highlighting that Elaine was the kind of person you just wanted to talk with.

Elaine loved everyone in her life—whether you were a dear friend, a special niece or nephew, a beloved grandchild, a much-loved sister, a respected coworker, a special cousin, a friendly neighbor, or a loving child, she loved you and will be watching over you.

Elaine is predeceased by her beloved husband Bill; her parents, Elaine and Edward; her siblings Edward and Lindy Hewel; and her siblings Edward and John Morgan. She will be missed dearly by her son Jason and his wife Leigha; her daughter Amanda; her grandchildren Victor, Emma, Augustus, and Cole; her sisters Darlene and Peggy; her brother Frank; her first husband Douglas; and many others.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations to any charitable organization be made in Elaine’s name. No Kid Hungry and New York Cancer Foundation are examples of organizations that Elaine would have supported; but please feel free to choose a charity that speaks to your heart.