Elfriede Marie Mallin

Elfriede was born in 1931 in Skomatzko, a small town in Germany, to Richard and Ida Mallin. She had several siblings and lived with an aunt and uncle for part of her childhood before the outbreak of World War II necessitated her moving back home.

In 1952 Elfriede emigrated to London, England where she was employed as a nanny for 3 years while attending evening classes. In 1956 she came to the United States and became a companion to an elderly woman in Greenwich. She also worked as a mother’s helper, and nurses’ aid before being offered a position as a dental assistant trainee. She became a skilled chairside assistant as well as acquiring experience in bookkeeping and typing at the dental practice. After several years, Elfriede acted on her desire to see more of the country by resigning her position, moving to California, and working as a dental assistant there. In 1964 she worked as a salesgirl at the World’s Fair in Flushing, New York. After that, she settled permanently in Stamford.

Elfriede worked for many years in childcare at S.H.S. Children’s Center and Bright Horizons. She dearly loved working with young children.

Elfriede’s faith was very important to her. She was a long-time active member of First Congregational Church and attended worship services at various other places. Elfriede is lovingly remembered by church members as someone who was always quietly working behind the scenes at every church event. Some examples of her church work are teaching Sunday School, helping in the office, cooking for and cleaning up after church events, giving people rides when needed, tidying up the sanctuary after services, and volunteering at the Thrift Shop, Friendship Fair, and Thanksgiving Dinner,

Outside of work and church, Elfriede’s interests included reading, travel, and outdoor activities. She was the most prolific user of the church library. She drove to Florida to visit friends regularly for many years, visited the Holy Land, and went on an African safari far before it was a popular thing to do. Swimming, sailing, tennis, cross country skiing, and walking were among her pastimes.

Elfriede’s last years were spent at Cassena Care of Stamford. While it was hard for her to give up her independence, she accepted this new stage of life gracefully and was always a pleasure to visit. She passed away peacefully on January 9, 2024, a few months shy of her 93rd birthday.

She is survived by a nephew, Frithjof Mallin, and his family in Germany. She is also survived by many friends who will remember her fondly and miss her dearly. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 3 at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel of First Presbyterian Church, Stamford Connecticut.