Obituary of Alyne Elias

Elias, Alyne Elizabeth Franks of Lincoln Park NJ, passed February 8, aged 94. 

Born in Owego NY to Mary (Every) and Elwood Franks, she spent her childhood on the family farm with her sister Evelyn having many an adventure including being tree’ed by a large bull while attempting to cross a field. Her childhood nickname was ‘Dutch’ due to the fact that as a small child she would mispronounce certain words and her father decided she was speaking Dutch. The nickname followed her into her adult life for a special few, including her nieces and nephews who referred to her affectionately as ‘Aunt Dutch’. 

She had a strong desire to learn and achieve, and was the first of her family to attend college at Hartwick in Oneonta NY. While attending she took on the presidency of her sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. She also met the love of her life at Hartwick, her soon to be husband Christopher Elias. They spent 49 years together, working, traveling, spending time with family and dear friends, only parting with his passing in 2002. 

She had a varied career initially teaching and then working in publishing at McGraw Hill. After raising her family she worked at AT&T in the office of the CEO and in customer relations where she was known for her patience and understanding. Alyne was also a gifted stock picker and wished she had pursued a job on Wall Street. 

Her talents for gardening and in the kitchen were renowned amongst family and friends. Holiday dinners were French inspired, classic and beautiful, just the way she liked. Quart upon quart of homegrown tomatoes would be canned every summer, and her freezer jam is legendary in some circles. She loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible at her summer home in upstate NY fixing rock walls, clearing brush and planting plants that the deer would eventually eat. She was well known for having dinners for 20+ people in the Catskills after a long hard day of tree felling and general forest cleanup. 

In her later years she loved to spend time with her grandchildren Alex and Will, and her family as a whole. She is survived by her two children, Christopher Elias and Caroline Turben, her son in law Nicholas Turben, her grandchildren Alex and Will Turben, her nieces Kristine Lutters, Karen Dichiaro and Liz Guidone, her nephews Richard Elias and Bruce Williams as well as an extended group of great nephews and nieces. Visiting at the Keri -Lozito Funeral Home125 Main Steet, Lincoln Park, NJ, February 15, 2024 from 6-8 pm. Internment at Bushkill Cemetery, West Shokan NY.