Louisa McElman, born in Providence, Rhode Island and a longtime resident of Concord, Massachusetts, passed Sunday March 3rd 2019. She was living at Life Care of Acton Massachusetts at the time of her death.
She was born to Mabel (Morin) and Frank Angell in Providence, Rhode Island May 6th. Louisa was very proud of the fact she grew up in the Federal Hill area of "the city". She frequently passed on her own pearls of wisdom of "safe city life" to her children and grandchildren. Her lifelong aspiration of never divulging her true age is a time honored tradition. This tradition continues on in death.
She met Edwin" Ted" Kenneth McElman at a post-World War II party with mutual friends and on October, 25th 1952, after courting for four years, they married. Louisa was considered an independent woman of her time; having her own job at the phone company when she met Ted. They shared 64 years of marriage and countless experiences raising children together prior to Ted's passing on March 24th 2016.
Louisa began to teach as a classroom assistant at a kindergarten in Concord Massachusetts upon the retirement of her husband, Ted. She loved children of all ages and connected in a special way with pre-school students. She was devoted and involved in her grandchildren's activities and attended as many as possible. Plays, baseball, football, soccer, dance, gymnastics, and equestrian events, to name a few.
Louisa and Ted summered most of their married life on Sebago Lake in Maine. Sebago Lake was a special place for them. After purchasing their home on the lake they would enjoy their mornings and evenings overlooking the water, drinking coffee from two special mugs that only they used, playing cards and keeping score of the wins and losses between the two of them. Louisa loved star gazing and drawing at Sebago. She especially loved to sit on the stairs to the water and drink tea with grandchildren and tell stories of her family. Louisa made and enjoyed many lifelong friends on the lake.
Louisa has been described as; strong and intuitive, kind and elegant, graceful and dignified, a woman to be taken seriously in life, love, and faith. Louisa was a constant support to those in which she surrounded herself. In her last two years, Louisa became a tenacious bingo player at Life Care of Acton and had a special seat from which she surveyed her "competition". It was really something to watch her bellow out "Bingo!" She was known by many as simply- the best.
Louisa is predeceased by her husband Edwin Ted McElman, parents Mabel and Frank Angell, and her brother Francis Angell. She is survived by her brother Thomas Angell, her children; Michael McElman of Shirley, MA, Mary McElman and Kevin Donovan of Argyle, Wi, John and Janet McElman of Norton, MA, Elizabeth McElman of Groton, MA. Her grandchildren; Erica Hirschhorn, Douglas Hirschhorn and MIDN 4/C Dana Hirschhorn, Liam and Aidan McElman, Rachael, Natalie, Sawyer, Hunter and Ali Murphy, Jacob and Hannah Podsiadlo.
Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Louisa for her funeral mass on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in Holy Family Parish, 12 Monument Square, Concord. Interment will follow in the family lot in Westview Cemetery, 529 Bedford Street, Lexington, MA
Those who wish may make contributions in her name to:
Holy Family Parish
12 Monument Square
Concord, MA 01742