Elaine Rosler

Elaine Rosler, age 98, of South Setauket, formerly of Massapequa, NY, passed away on May 8, 2024. Born on October 7, 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, Elaine grew up in Williston Park, NY, as the cherished only child of Rose and Abe "Doc" Rhodes. Her father was a local pharmacist with a passion for opera, which influenced Elaine's lifelong appreciation of the arts. Elaine was painfully shy but found solace and gained confidence through her love of learning, literature, and music. She studied classical piano but her early interest in becoming a pianist was squelched by acute stage fright.

In 1940, Elaine met Bronx-born sax player and aspiring writer Leo Rosler, in the Catskills, when she was fifteen years old. After graduating from high school as valedictorian of Mineola High School, Elaine went to Middlebury College in Vermont for a year but left in 1945 to marry Lee. Their enduring courtship not only withstood her teenage years and a wartime separation but was also sustained by the hundreds of almost-daily romantic letters exchanged between them, where they constantly encouraged each other to "buck up" while mapping out their hopes and dreams.

After the war, the married couple lived in Stuyvesant Town in NYC for eight years before moving to Massapequa, NY, where they raised their three sons, David, Michael, and Donald, who all inherited their parents' artistic genes. Dave became a music teacher, Mike a jazz trumpet player and poet, and Don a songwriter and lyricist.

After her youngest son started school, Elaine pursued her lifelong dream of completing her education. She earned her BA degree from Hofstra University, majoring in Psychology and Sociology. This then led to a career in Human Resources at the IRS. In an interview for "Ferry Tales," Elaine recalled that "the most rewarding part of my job was as Coordinator of the Special Emphasis Programs. These included placement and advancement of minorities, disadvantaged youth, veterans and the handicapped, or as we came to call them, the "handi-capable.

Elaine and Lee were married for 45 years, until his untimely death in 1990. A few years after her husband passed away, Elaine moved to Jefferson's Ferry, a life care retirement community, where she ran the film club, joined the book club, and formed meaningful friendships.

Elaine was an avid reader and movie-goer and loved going to see Broadway or off-Broadway shows. She was forever inspired by all of the performing arts and her deep love for her family.

Her legacy of intellectual curiosity, kindness, and generosity will continue to resonate with all who knew and loved Elaine. She is survived by her children: David (Debbie), Mike, and Don (Bernadette), her grandchildren: Lisha, Jason, and Jenny (Derek) and great grandchildren: Reed, Race, Tyler, and Shea. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Entertainment Community Fund [https://entertainmentcommunity.org] or Music Cares [https://musicares.org/].