Elda Wait

Elda Patricia Wait, age 95 of Oxford, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2026. Born in Winton, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1930. In her teen years, the family moved to Lake Orion, where she graduated from Lake Orion High School. Later, she made her home in Oxford for 38 years, proudly raising her six children. Later in life, Elda worked at Kay Automotive Graphics for 24 years, retiring at the age of 81 in 2011.

Elda was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Nello Sorbelli; her brother, Francis; and two beloved children, Deborah (Perry) Rouse and Dennis Wait.

She is survived by her children Denise (Larry) Schrauben, Darcel (Gary Sheffield) Quisenberry, David (Chris Pollum) Wait, and Daniel (Erica) Wait; nine grandchildren: Todd (Trisha) Rouse, Ryan (Tiffany) Rouse, Kassidy (Wait) Campbell, Jennifer (Jonathan Mallinga) Schrauben, Michael (Andreina) Schrauben, Sean Quisenberry, Shannon Quisenberry, Gabriela Wait, and Jenna Wait; and 11 great-grandchildren: Kailey, Alyssa, Ayden, Peyton, Nolan, Kaylee, Tyler, Hannah, Maya, Olivia, and Alexander.

A memorial will be held at Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors in Oxford on February 14, 2026. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by a remembrance at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Heart-to-Heart Hospice Foundation, 7240 Chase Oaks Blvd, Plano, TX 75025

www.htohhfoundation.org/donation/

"Tribute from the Wait Family"

Elda was the kind of woman you didn't just know, you felt. She had a presence that lifted a room, a laugh that pulled people in, and a way of making life brighter just by showing up. When Elda walked into a room, it was like the opening line of a story you had to hear: a witty hello, a "you won't believe this" lead-in, and suddenly the whole gathering felt more alive. Her humor was sharp and lightning fast. She could drop a one-liner with perfect timing, never cruel, always unmistakably her. And she could take it right back, too. If you laughed at her, she laughed with you… sometimes with a look that said she was deciding whether you'd crossed the line, followed by "I don't think that's very funny," delivered just well enough to make everyone laugh even harder.

Elda fiercely loved her family. She was a proud stay-at-home mom who poured herself into raising her six children. She was so proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And if you were one of them, you probably remember the weekly Sunday calls, Elda sharing the latest milestones and stories, keeping everyone connected, and making sure the whole family knew what each other was doing.

Later in life, she went to work at Kay Automotive Graphics with the same dedication, where she was very proud of her perfect attendance record year after year and was known to arrive long before others, enjoying a quiet moment and a coffee with her co-workers before her shift.

Food was one of her truest love languages because of her Italian heritage. Elda didn't just like food, she believed in it. She was a fantastic cook, especially her homemade raviolis, cappelletti's, gnocchi's and pasta, and she enjoyed eating out at her favorite restaurants. Elda also enjoyed making desserts and was famous for her German chocolate cake and coconut cream pie. Her desserts would come with a story. And in her later years, even if it was something "doctored up," it was still served with the same signature ingredient: love. Family gatherings were her arena. If she wasn't cooking the meal, she was arriving with something unforgettable, the kind of dessert people still talk about years later, part recipe, part tradition, part proof that she cared.

Elda also knew how to have fun. She was the life of the party, the laughter, the games, the stories, and that confident assurance that if she was there, it wasn't going to be a short night. She was great at poker, but she also loved games where everyone could be included. "LCR" and "Screw Your Neighbor" were two of her favorites. And every so often, she'd show that same joyful spirit on an occasional trip to Las Vegas with family. She loved staying at the Flamingo, was known to outlast the younger crowd, and somehow came home with new stories every time. And true to form, the trip always started the same way: she'd arrive and go straight to get her hair done.

Elda's hair was legendary, a majestic, larger-than-life silver perm that she took seriously and maintained faithfully, never missing her weekly appointments. It wasn't just hair; it was part of her presence; the kind of signature that made you smile before she even spoke. And it came with one very clear rule: no one touched it. If the hair was the crown, the finishing touch was her signature red lipstick, a bold, classic detail that felt just like her: confident, put-together, and completely unforgettable.

Elda's family will miss her deeply, her stories, her wit, her full-hearted way of showing up, and the warmth she brought into every room she walked into. Her legacy lives on in the people she loved, the gatherings she made happen, the desserts that became tradition, and the laughter that still echoes when the family sits down together, still half-expecting her to sweep in with that silver hair, red lipstick, and a story that instantly makes the whole room feel like family.