Cecelia Elson Sudia

SUDIA, CECELIA ELSON (Age 83)

CECELIA ELSON SUDIA died peacefully at home on June 14, 2006. She was born on April 28, 1923 in Knox Twp, OH, daughter of the late Mary E. and S. Wells Elson. Preceded in death by daughter, Norah Davies and brother, Philip Elson, New Kensington. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Theodore W. Sudia, son, Frank W., San Francisco and daughter, Rachael (Keith) Boivin (Pittsburgh); grandchildren, Samuel, Iris and Aaron. Also survived by brother, John (Nancy) Elson, Toronto, OH; sister, Mary Lou (Keith) Johnson, Cleveland, OH; sister-in-law, Virginia (Kelly) Elson, New Kensington, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was a civilian employee of Wright-Patterson AFB during WWII and later joined the Navy WAVES and served in Washington, D.C. until the end of the war. She received a Bachelor and Masters degree in sociology and psychology from Kent State University. She taught briefly at the University of Minnesota. She joined the Children's Bureau a division of the federal government in Washington, D.C. during the Johnson Administration and retired at age 75 in 1998 during the Clinton Administration for 35 years of service to children and families. She co-authored Boys in Fatherless Families with Elizabeth Herzog and Failed Child Welfare Policy-family preservation and the orphaning of child welfare with Janet R. Hutchinson. She and her husband had resided in Pittsburgh since 2001. There will be no visitation. Memorial services will be held on Friday, June 23, at 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2040 Washington Rd., Upper St. Clair 15241. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to Family Hospice, 50 Moffet St., Pgh, PA 15243 or Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Ave., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001.