Elaine P. Eichler

Friends may call at Lemmon Funeral Home of Dulaney Valley, Inc., 10 W. Padonia Road (at York Road), Timonium, Md. 21093 on Thursday, June 6, from 5 to 8 pm. Her life will be celebrated at Lemmon Funeral Home on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 10am with burial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens immediately following.

Elaine was born in 1932 in Lillian, Virginia, to the late Grover and Bessie Purcell. At the age of 10 she moved with her family to Baltimore, where she graduated from Eastern High School and earned a certificate in piano from the Peabody Preparatory. While working at the Sun Life Insurance Company, she met her future husband, G. Benson “Benny” Eichler, at a dance at Baltimore’s famed Alcazar Ballroom. In 1954 they married and built a home in Timonium Heights, where she assisted him in running a Baltimore Sun delivery business and raised the family.

In 1980, Elaine took her first college course at the age of 48, in German, through Essex Community College, eventually earning her A.A. She continued her studies at Towson (State) University and graduated with a B.S. in clinical psychology in 1989. She worked at Almost Family, an adult day care, until Benny’s retirement in 1993. The couple enjoyed attending antiques auctions and exploring the scenery and restaurants of northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. After Benny died in 1996, she was active in the Order of the Eastern Star for many years.

She will be remembered for her love of family, Pepsi (never Coke!), Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets, and music (especially Elvis and Andrea Bocelli). Although she determinedly remained in her Timonium home for nearly 70 years, she fondly recalled her youth in Baltimore and early Northern Neck farm days.

Elaine is survived by children Robert (Ruth) Eichler, Ann (Frank) Kolakowski, and Chris (Christine) Eichler; daughter-in-law Andrea Eichler; grandchildren Megan (James) Ramsburg, Ben (Lainie) Kolakowski, Emily Kolakowski, and Lydia (Alex) Capel; great-grandchildren Madison and Jackson Ramsburg and Genevieve and Josephine Capel; and brother John “Skip” Purcell. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by another son, Jeffrey Eichler; a brother, William Purcell; and sisters, Elizabeth Keyser and Idell Purcell.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be directed in Elaine’s memory to Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org) Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306 or

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 381 orm 05 (stjude.org).