Elva Del Porto

We are deeply saddened to share that Elva Del Porto, age 85, passed away on March 11, 2023, in Weaverville, NC. Elva was the daughter of Basil Rodenhizer and Frances Rodenhizer (McNeill), and was born in Waltham, MA on January 17, 1938.

She is survived by her children, David, Betsy and her husband Paul, Sue, Jeff, Jason and his wife Elizabeth, and her grandchildren, Eiche, Max, Lauren, Julian, Prudence, Brandon, Jackson and Luca, and her brothers, William Rodenhizer and his wife Judy, and Bruce Rodenhizer.

Elva attended the New England Conservatory of Music in the late 1950s. During this time, she was giving a piano performance at a Boston area physical rehabilitation facility, where she observed physical therapists helping patients. As Elva described it, “The moment I saw them, I knew it was what I wanted to do.” She switched her major from music to physical therapy and received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University in 1961.

Elva was deeply compassionate and empathetic, finding her life’s work as a physical therapist incredibly rewarding. She specialized in eldercare, splitting her time between two Boston area nursing homes. An avid gardener who enjoyed classical music especially Brahms piano sonatas and Mozart, Elva retired from physical therapy at the age of 65.

For Elva, family was as important as her career. In 1961, she married Harvey Marsden Shein with whom she had three children she adored. After Harvey’s death in 1974, Elva found love again, and, in 1980, she married David Anthony Del Porto, becoming a loving stepmom to his two sons. Elva enjoyed supporting her husband David’s work with the Green Decade Coalition (Green Newton). Together, Elva and David would host Urban Ark seminars in their passive solar greenhouse and wash water gardens at their Newton home.

There will be a private, family celebration of Elva’s life.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Physical Therapy For All (PTFORALL).

https://www.ptforall.org/donations.html

PTFORALL is a nonprofit public charity dedicated to helping low-income individuals with financial difficulties get the physical therapy services they need.

Copy and paste the link above into your browser, or click the link below under Donations.