Elaine THOMAS
Elaine Thomas died on May19, 2018 after a short illness. She was seventy-one. Elaine was a gifted storyteller, magician, and photographer. She had a beautiful voice and hosted a radio show during her college years. She was a loyal and generous friend to many of us. She was smart, well organized, kind, and good-natured. She loved games, puzzles, crosswords, mysteries, science fiction. She had exquisite taste and enjoyed fine books, handsome furnishings, gourmet food, and elegant wine. She organized many outings with friends.
Elaine began her career in the late 1960s in the Central Children’s Room at Donnell, and worked at Columbus, Riverside, and Jefferson Market. Her final job was in the Office of Children’s Services where she set up programs for children in the branch libraries and reviewed the new electronic games which were being added to the children’s collections.
Elaine enjoyed travel. After her retirement, she and Marilyn Iarusso joined a group of librarians who accompanied noted author and storyteller (and former NYPL children’s librarian) Anne Pellowski to South Africa and Indonesia to help her teach teachers, parents and other adults how to make cloth books in indigenous languages for young children in places where no books were published for children. In South Africa, Elaine presented a workshop for participants on how to use photography in working with children.
Neuropathy brought on by diabetes curtailed her travel and limited her mobility in recent years, but her mind remained active and engaged.
Elaine is survived by two cousins; a godson, Amir Addison El, son of Barbara Addison, who worked with Elaine at Jefferson Market; and many grieving friends.
See photo in the Asia Society album.
See photo in the New York Aquarium album.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 42, pages 2.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 32, page 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 28, page 22.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 27, page 18.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 26, page 18, 22.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 25, page 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 25, page 18, 20.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 24, page 9.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 24, page 14, 19.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 23, page 13.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 22, page 10.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 22, page 14.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 21, page 1, 10, 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 20, page 5.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 20, page 6, 9, 15.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 19, page 4.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 18, page 10.
Elaine Thomas died on May19, 2018 after a short illness. She was seventy-one. Elaine was a gifted storyteller, magician, and photographer. She had a beautiful voice and hosted a radio show during her college years. She was a loyal and generous friend to many of us. She was smart, well organized, kind, and good-natured. She loved games, puzzles, crosswords, mysteries, science fiction. She had exquisite taste and enjoyed fine books, handsome furnishings, gourmet food, and elegant wine. She organized many outings with friends.
Elaine began her career in the late 1960s in the Central Children’s Room at Donnell, and worked at Columbus, Riverside, and Jefferson Market. Her final job was in the Office of Children’s Services where she set up programs for children in the branch libraries and reviewed the new electronic games which were being added to the children’s collections.
Elaine enjoyed travel. After her retirement, she and Marilyn Iarusso joined a group of librarians who accompanied noted author and storyteller (and former NYPL children’s librarian) Anne Pellowski to South Africa and Indonesia to help her teach teachers, parents and other adults how to make cloth books in indigenous languages for young children in places where no books were published for children. In South Africa, Elaine presented a workshop for participants on how to use photography in working with children.
Neuropathy brought on by diabetes curtailed her travel and limited her mobility in recent years, but her mind remained active and engaged.
Elaine is survived by two cousins; a godson, Amir Addison El, son of Barbara Addison, who worked with Elaine at Jefferson Market; and many grieving friends.
See photo in the Asia Society album.
See photo in the New York Aquarium album.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 42, pages 2.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 32, page 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 28, page 22.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 27, page 18.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 26, page 18, 22.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 25, page 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 25, page 18, 20.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 24, page 9.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 24, page 14, 19.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 23, page 13.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 22, page 10.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 22, page 14.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 21, page 1, 10, 16.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 20, page 5.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 20, page 6, 9, 15.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 19, page 4.
See New York Public Library Retirees Newsletter, Issue 18, page 10.