Elena Grinko Lilly

Elena Lilly September 15, 1926 – September 30, 2026

Elena Lilly lived a full 100 years, and she spent them well. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 30, 2026.

Elena was born in Dehue, West Virginia, to Russian immigrants. She was a true "Coal Miner's Daughter." Her parents were remarkable people. Her father was college-educated in Russia and served in World War I which is how he earned his citizenship to America. He was a photographer and played the violin. He tried to pass his love of the instrument on to his daughter, without success. After a lesson, the town's violin teacher handed the money back to her father and said in a thick Russian accent, "Louie, I cannot take your money anymore. I feel like a thief!” Together, they built a new life in a new country, and they raised a bright, curious daughter who skipped a grade and finished high school at sixteen.

Elena was ahead of her time from the start. More than 80 years ago, when most young women went straight to homemaking, she went to Mountain State College in Parkersburg, West Virginia. She was also brave enough to travel to Cuba with her girlfriends. One of her favorite stories was riding the train to the orthodontist for braces. That investment paid off: at 100, she still had every one of her own teeth and was proud of it.

She married in 1954, threw herself into being a wife and mother, and moved the family to Florida in 1958 to be close to her parents. She spent 20 loyal years as a secretary at Briley, Wild and Associates.

Elena's calendar was always full. She was a hospital Pink Lady and Flower Chairman at Ormond Beach Union Church, before moving to Port Orange. She was a member of Port Orange Methodist for 25 years and almost never missed a Sunday. She loved her Sunday school class and the work it did for at-risk children. As Girl Scout Area Cookie Chair, she kept the family garage smelling like Thin Mints well into July.

She loved a good adventure, and she loved sharing them with her family. There were cruises to Alaska and Europe, including a trip to Russia to reconnect with the family's roots. The small adventures counted too, like taking her grandson to get his very first Choco Taco at Taco Bell. With Elena, any outing could become a memory. While she lived with family, her granddaughter remembers weekend nights often meant pajamas, a shared bowl of ice cream, and TLC or HGTV playing in Grammy's room while she told stories from her life. The memory of those quiet nights will remain a comfort.

Elena never met a new restaurant she didn't want to try. With her beloved "Lunch Bunch" she visited more than 200 of them, and she kept notebooks to prove it, documenting each location the Lunch Bunch visited. She played Rummikub with "her girls" for over ten years, often for hours at a stretch. If she knew your birthday, a card was coming. We suspect the Postal Service will miss her most of all.

Elena never let a holiday go by without decorating, and she meant every holiday. Doilies covered the tables and festive trinkets lined the counters, and every season got a celebration. Her favorite season by far though: Christmas. Her crown jewel was her collection of Buyers Carolers. Each December they took their places all through the house. Christmas meant Grammy's famous "nuts and bolts." She made them in a giant metal roasting pan that filled the house with the smell of butter and spices, and the family ate the leftovers out of Tupperware for months. It was never really about the snack mix. It was her way of loving everyone one handful at a time. To another granddaughter, she also passed down her love of knitting, and when she was younger, Christmas meant tea parties with Madeline, a guest of honor who never said a word (she was a doll).

Elena always saw the glass as half full. She was proud of how well she navigated the stock market. She invested in companies like Duke Energy, Coca-Cola, and The Limited. Instead of gifts, she often bought stock for her family as an investment in their future. She taught them the value of a dollar and the importance of investing wisely. The biggest lesson she taught them was that time spent together is worth more than anything you can buy.

She leaves a lasting legacy with everyone blessed to call her Mother, Grammy, GG and friend. She is survived by her devoted daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We will miss her more than words can say, and we are so grateful for 100 remarkable years. We take comfort in knowing she is resting in the loving arms of the Lord.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:23)

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: DL Global, Russian Translation Program Appleton Alliance Church 2693 West Grand Chute Blvd. Appleton, WI 54913