Elma J. Frysinger

6/28/1930 - 11/14/2025

Niantic - Elma J. Frysinger of Niantic, died Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at the age of 95. She was born June 28, 1930, in Lancaster, Pa., the daughter of the late Ella Elizabeth Steffy and Aaron Gibble Breidenstine. She is predeceased by her brother Dr. Glenn S. Breidenstine and his wife Patricia; and her ex-husband Dr. Galen Frysinger. She is survived by her children, Thomas Frysinger of Norwich, Susan Blasch and her husband David in Catskill, N.Y., Jane Pilliod and her husband Jim of Waterford, Conn./Hollywood, Fla., and Glenn Frysinger and his wife Karen Christman of Old Saybrook, Conn./Newbury, N.H.; her grandchildren, Dominic Del Corso and his wife Tara Culp-Ressler of Philadelphia, Pa., Marisa Del Corso and her partner Mike Piper of Manchester, N.H., Joseph Pilliod and his wife Kristie of Kenneth City, Fla., James Pilliod and his wife Jessica of St. Petersburg, Fla., Jack Frysinger and his partner Natasha Desai of San Francisco, Calif., Erik Frysinger of Nashville, Tenn., and Matthew Frysinger of Old Saybrook; and great-grandchildren, Oliver, Fiona, Harrison, and Eloise Pilliod and Norah Pilliod.

Elma grew up in Elizabethtown, Hershey, and Lancaster, Pa. and graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1948. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music from Lebanon Valley College in 1952 and a Master's degree in Musicology from the University of North Carolina in 1961. After teaching music for four years in Rothsville, Pa. and New Haven, Elma spent time living in Gottingen, Germany, followed by years at home raising her family before returning to work for the State of Connecticut at Seaside Regional Center in Waterford where she worked until retirement.

Elma's passions were music and travel. She played piano, trombone, violin, and learned organ in her retirement. Over her lifetime she belonged to various orchestras and vocal groups and was a member of the American Guild of Organists. She loved attending concerts and recitals. She sang in the choir at St. John's Episcopal Church, Niantic under the direction of her good friend, the late John Anthony. She was an avid fan of opera, attending 160 performances at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC over more than 20 years and then HD simulcast performances at a local theater. Elma's grandchildren always brought their instruments to her home for holiday dinners because they knew the meal would be followed by a family recital where Joe played clarinet, James, the trumpet, Dominic and Jack, saxophone, Marisa, piano and flute, Erik, violin and guitar and Matt, clarinet.

Elma traveled throughout her life. She has been all over the United States, to all of Europe, some of Asia (India, Iran, China, Turkey, Jordan), to several countries in Africa (Egypt, Kenya and Morocco) and Australia. In retirement she enjoyed taking one of her children, Tom, Susan, or Jane, and once her granddaughter Marisa, along for the trip. In her later years Elma stayed in contact with her family through phone calls, email, Facebook, and Instagram. She loved seeing photos posted by her children and grandchildren from all of their adventures and travels.

The funeral service will be at noon Saturday, Nov. 29, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Niantic. Burial of her ashes will take place at St. John's Memorial Garden. A reception in the parish hall will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Elma's favorite organization: Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5023, Hagerstown, MD 21741-9804

Online condolences may be shared at www.neilanfuneralhome.com