Elena M. Szulszteyn

Elena was a fraternal twin to her sister, Perla, born November 12, 1951, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her parents, Mauricio and Ana, endured years of heartbreak trying to have children before being blessed with Elena, Perla and an older daughter, Luisa.

Elena suffered from debilitating asthma as a child, but rather than let that get her down, she found a way to persevere, growing strong in her character and disposition despite being painfully shy.

At age 12, Elena and her family moved to New York and her asthma all but disappeared. She met her future husband, Abel, at a party organized by Argentine ex-pats at age 16 and two years later, they married. Eventually, they moved to Florida, where Elena and Abel raised their two daughters, Andrea and Melissa.

Elena spent her days volunteering as room mom and with the PTA, eventually getting a job working at the school. She was so entrenched at their elementary school that everyone considered her their mom.

Fiercely devoted to her daughters and family, Elena had a soft spot for all children – taking great pride in working in the library, reading to kids of all ages – once asking Abel to put on a Clifford the Big Red Dog costume during the book fair. When she moved to Jupiter in 2005 - her paradise as she called it - she once again took a job at an elementary school and the children delighted in her presence.

After she became a grandmother to Hope and Anabelle, she made sure to read them her favorite stories from her time as the "library lady," including, "How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night" "Are You My Mother?" and "The Kissing Hand."

Elena loved cooking, just like her mother, and most days she spent hours in the kitchen cooking up feasts – her potato knishes, empanadas, gnocchi, roasted sweet potatoes, milanesa, French toast and macaroons – were family favorites. Ask her to make something to eat, and she would do it without hesitation, often explaining how it was “so easy” for her to do.

She spent her later years cruising the world with Abel, bringing back her prized snow globes, and other trinkets as souvenirs. She learned how to paint on an around-the-world cruise in 2019 -- and an artist was born. She gifted paintings to friends and family under her pen name “Mabelle.” Her paintings decorated nearly every wall of her home, especially in her favorite room – the kitchen.

This past October, they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in Turkey – while on a two-month cruise. Elena ingratiated herself with the crew, the way she did with everyone else that crossed her path, becoming known as “Madam Elena.” They reserved her a special table at dinner, often left extra chocolates in their room, and decorated their cabin for their anniversary – and both their birthdays in November.

Elena valiantly fought cancer from the moment she was diagnosed in December 2021 – miraculously surviving the initial diagnosis to live four years. When the cancer returned with a vengeance in December 2025, Elena remained fierce and strong, greeting visitors until the end with her usual no nonsense demeanor and yes, a few jokes. She willed herself to make it to Anabelle’s 15th birthday on Feb. 9, rejoicing that she had “made it.” Three days later, she was gone.

Elena is survived by her husband, Abel, her daughters Andrea (husband Eric) Adelson and Melissa (husband David Andrew) Cheney, her granddaughters Hope and Anabelle Adelson, her sisters Luisa (husband Eduardo) Gruvman and Perla (husband Carlos) Bursztein and nieces and nephews Elizabeth (Daniel) McGuire, Larry (Maureen) Lutrin, Michelle (Peter Trummel) Bursztein, Jennifer Kesselman, Adam Bursztein and Allison Fernandez.

Funeral Services and Burial will be held at IJ Morris at Star of David of the Palm Beaches, located at 9321 Memorial Park Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33412, on February 15, 2026, at 9:30am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.