Elaine, age 87, of Chicago, passed away, at her home, after a long illness.
Elaine leaves behind her devoted husband of 65 years, Don, her beloved children, David Pizza and Donia Ricci, daughter-in-law Fay Booker, nine cherished grandchildren and four precious great-grandchildren. Elaine was preceded in death by her adult son, Donald Edward.
Elaine was a lifelong resident of Greater Chicago, to include residences in Lansing, Olympia Fields, Orland Park as well as the New Eastside of downtown Chicago. She was a graduate of Elmhurst College, with a degree in Education, and with a subsequent degree in Fine Art from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and, at the age of 65, she earned the degree of Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California.
Although a devoted wife to Don, loving mother to her three children, and superb “Nana” to her nine grandchildren, Elaine still found time to pursue a dream. That of creative painting, which subsequently led to a successful career as an abstract fine arts painter. Represented by the Melissa Morgan Fine Art gallery in Palm Desert, California, her works can be found in homes in the desert and around the world as well as at the Bighorn Golf Club of Palm Desert. Perhaps her hallmark success in art was receiving the award of “Best Abstract Painting of the Year” in a juried show at the Palm Springs Museum of Art in California. Elaine also had many solo and group shows in Palm Desert and at The Fine Arts Building Gallery in Chicago where she also maintained her studio.
Elaine was an avid traveler and a “social” golfer. During her sojourns with Don, she made 35 cruises and visited over 60 countries. With Don she was a member, for 40 years, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois as well as enjoying many years as a golfing member at Crystal Tree Country Club in Orland Park, Illinois and at Bighorn Country Club in Palm Desert, California. Probably the highlight of her golfing career was playing the legendary 18 holes of the “Old Course” at St. Andrews in Scotland, in the rain, while walking and carrying her own golf clubs due to a shortage of caddies!
Another skill for Elaine was her ballroom dancing as a child, leading to her nickname, “Ginger: named after Ginger Rogers. This carried throughout her life, with Don as her hopeless partner, who never was mistaken for Fred Astaire.
Rest in peace Elaine. Be proud of a life lived to the fullest