Elise Kaelin

Elise Kaelin
Elise Unbekant Kaelin, age 89 of Shelton, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 27th, 2025 surrounded by her loving family. She was born November 27, 1936 to the late William and Helen (Anderson) Unbekant and was the beloved wife of the late Arthur G. Kaelin. Elise's greatest gift in life was her family. She is survived by her two loving sons, William A. Kaelin and his wife Laura and Richard A. Kaelin and his wife Alisa; six cherished grandchildren, Greg Kaelin and his wife Laura, Dana Kaelin, Rebecca McCarthy and her husband Mike, Tiffany Puskar and her husband Alex, Richard Kaelin and his wife Catherine and Glen Kaelin and his partner Alexandra Schaible; and the apple of her eyes, her great-grandchildren, Lilly and Violet Kaelin, John and Sarah McCarthy, and baby Puskar, who will be arriving in 2026. Elise loved sharing little treats with them and they affectionately called her Nana. In addition to her husband Art, she was predeceased by her son, John A. Kaelin. She also was especially proud of her many nieces and nephews and maintained close relationships with all of them. Elise was born in Long Island and graduated from Oceanside High School. Soon after graduation, she met the love of her life and future husband Art Kaelin. Elise paused her education to start a family and raised her 3 boys in Baldwin, Long Island. In 1973 she returned to school to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse and graduated cum laude from Nassau Community College. In 1978, Elise and Art moved their family to Trumbull to begin a new career. Together, she and her husband ran a successful printing business for over 30 years. In the years leading to retirement, Elise and Art enjoyed traveling around the United States and Europe. Over the years, Elise enjoyed many happy gatherings with family and friends. She especially loved celebrating holidays and birthdays! Elise embraced her faith in God and was an active member of Nichols United Methodist Church for over 45 years. She served on several church committees and was past president of the UMW (now the Nichols United Women in Faith). Her church family was a huge part of her life and she loved them deeply. In addition, she was a proud member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) of the Chapter V Trumbull and considered many of her sisters some of her closest friends. She also leaves behind many friends from the Asbury Ridge community where she spent her last several years.
Calling hours are Friday, January 2nd, 2026 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. Friends may meet on Saturday, January 3rd directly at Nichols United Methodist Church, 35 Shelton Road, Trumbull at 10:00 a.m. for a funeral service. Interment will follow at Nichols Village Cemetery, Trumbull. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Nichols United Methodist Church or Kaelin Laboratory (M457) Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.To leave online condolences, please visit www.abriola.com