Obit- Elena Kusa Morris
Elena Kusa Morris, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away unexpectedly on January 19, 2014. A 38-year resident of Palisades, Elena was active in the community as a member of the Palisades Historical Society and the Parent Teacher Association when her children attended local public elementary schools. Elena was born in Kaunas, Lithuania and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1948, settling in Port Jefferson, New York. She graduated from St. Lawrence University, where she met the love of her life, Mark Morris, whom she married in 1963, moving with him to Germany for the next three years. Upon returning, Elena went to work for the Institute of International Education, administrating the Fulbright Scholarship Program.
In the early 1970’s, the family lived in Milan for three years. In 1976, Mark and Elena moved to Palisades with their children Eric and Nicole. Elena earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Columbia University and joined The School of Continuing Education at Bergen Community College. For twenty years, she was the Conference Director of the Adult Learning Services Division of The College Board.
For the past eighteen years, Elena served on the Board of Advisers of the Bogliasco Foundation, which operates the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy. Among other local causes, Elena was a staunch supporter of Riverkeeper, dedicated to protecting the Hudson River, which Elena loved to watch over herself from her home in Snedens Landing. A longtime summer resident of Nantucket, Elena was also deeply involved in the Nantucket Historical Association. Elena was a member of The Rockland Country Club, The Coral Beach and Tennis Club in Bermuda and The Columbia University Club of New York.
In recent years, Elena took great joy in spending time with and enriching the lives of her three grandchildren, taking them on trips to Florence and Venice, Washington, DC and, this past November, to London and Paris. In addition to exposing them to an expanded world, she took great pride in sharing her love of art, culture and history with them.
Elena is survived by her husband Mark, brother Alan, son Eric, daughter Nicole, son-in-law Keil Merrick and her three grandchildren, Oliver, Charlie and Kate. A private celebration of Elena's life was held at their home on Saturday, January 25.Anyone wishing to make a donation in Elena’s honor should consider The Bogliasco Foundation, Inc., 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020. The Foundation offers residency scholarships to qualified individuals working on scholarly projects in the Arts and Humanities, a true passion of hers.