Obituary
Elayne entered her eternal reward on Wednesday, October 30 2019. She died peacefully in her sleep, at home, after a long and difficult illness.
She is survived by her loving husband of fifty-five years, John and devoted son Sean.
Elayne grew up in Quincy, Mass. She was the daughter of the late Stanley and Ethel Smith(nee Rollins). She is also predeceased by brothers Clifford and Bruce and sister Valerie Campbell.
After graduating from Quincy High School she entered the Quincy City Hospital School of Nursing and graduated as an RN in September of 1958.
Shortly afterwards she purchased her renowned Red Triumph sports car and began what she called the vagabond nurse stage of her career. She travelled extensively all over the United States. When she found a location she liked she stopped and began working at a local hospital. Her journeys took her to Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado and California and many other states along the way. She made many friends during her travels, some of them lifelong.
After marrying John at St. Ann’s Church in Quincy on October 24, 1964 they, first settled in Ohio then locally in Spring Valley and eventually New City.
Her local nursing career began at the old Ramapo General Hospital and then moved over to Good Samaritan Hospital. She held numerous positions at the hospital and spent the better part of 30 years in the Emergency Room. She was well respected by her colleagues both doctors and nurses. While at the Hospital she also devoted herself to the annual Christmas program for needy families.
After the formal program ended she brought it upon herself to continue it with the help of a few colleagues and her husband and son. Often see lugging bags of donated food, clothing and toys, she earned the title of the “Emergency Room Bag Lady”. Her efforts made Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter a little more enjoyable for those in need.
She was a member of St. Francis of Assisi parish in West Nyack and volunteered in the kitchen at Bingo games. Along with another nurse and co-worker they personally cleaned and polished every pew in the Church one year, to prepare for Easter. Hard work did not faze her.
In her spare time, Elayne was an avid reader and master of the jig saw puzzle. Her favorites were murder mysteries and when we could find them 5,000 piece jig saw puzzles. She was a sports enthusiast and followed the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. This was in spite of her being the daughter of the only rabid Yankee fan born in the greater Boston area. Along with this she was an avid fan of ARMY sports.
Football Saturdays began early in the week and even earlier on Saturday mornings, with preparations for memorable tailgate parties at West Point. Family, friends, cadets, their families and even our late Congressman Ben Gilman partook of her foods especially her soups and sausage pies during cold weather. Many of them too have become life-long friends.
Elayne will be buried at her beloved West Point this Wednesday. She led a storied, exciting life and will be sorely missed by family and friends. Well done Elayne. Be thou at peace.
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