Elva Creeger

Elva (Stearns) Creeger, of Middle Haddam, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 29th at the Cobalt Lodge Health Care Center. Born to Carl (long-serving Wesleyan University astronomy professor) and Mildred (Parkhurst) Stearns in 1928 in Middletown, she grew up on the edge of the Wesleyan campus in homes on Lawn and Home Avenues. From Middletown High School, she pursued her education at Vassar College (B.A. in Mathematics), and Wesleyan (A.B. in Physics and Ph.D. in Biophysics) earning Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi distinctions and Louise Hart Van Loon and NIH graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. Dr. Creeger's original research included such diverse topics as mathematical modeling of peizoelectricity in crystals, cell membrane permeability, and cancer research. Her career included teaching and research posts at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Newington, and the Max Plank Gesellschaft in Berlin, Germany where she worked with a team quantifying the DNA molecule. After "retiring," she became a policy editor for Hartford Insurance firms. A certified Water Safety Instructor for many years, she was an avid, life-long swimmer. Dr. Creeger was also an enthusiastic blood donor to the American Red Cross. Devoted spouse of George Creeger for sixty-two years, loving mother of three, fond grandmother, impeccable home-maker, and master of her universe, she is survived by her husband, her sister, Doris Swain and husband, James Swain, her daughter, Catherine Creeger and son, Christopher Creeger and his wife, Shelley Hadfield, and grandchildren, Ethan and Joshua Creeger. She was predeceased by her son, Carl and brother, Robert in 2009. She will be dearly missed.
Services are being planned and will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to The American Cancer Society, 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Ctr., Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Doolittle Funeral Home, 14 Old Church Street, Middletown is handling the arrangements and messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.