Elaine Ruth Ash

Elaine Ruth Goldman Alperin Ash died from congestive heart failure on April 23, 2020. When asked what she wanted in her obituary, she told her daughters: “I lived, l led a life, and died.” However, that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the life that she led.

Elaine was born February 10, 1929 and grew up in bucolic Rome, New York with her sister, Marilyn, and her parents, Theodore and Frances Goldman.

Elaine was a trailblazer in many facets of her life. She graduated from the Rome Free Academy in 1946, and was the first person in the Goldman family to attend college. She moved from the small town of Rome, NY to the big city of Boston, MA to attend Simmons College and was a member of Simmons’ first graduating class in physical therapy in 1950.

While attending college, she met an army veteran, Norman Alperin at a Temple dance. They hit it off and were married on June 1, 1952. They lived life to the fullest and raised their daughters, Karen and Susan in Framingham, Massachusetts, passing along the traditions and holidays of the Jewish faith.

As a young physical therapist, Elaine worked for several organizations until she found her passion: home health care. For the rest of her career, she provided the most current physical therapy services to patients in their own homes. She developed close relationships with many of her patients, often becoming a member of their extended family and some have remained her life-long friends. Each patient was special to her, and she was proud to care for them.

Later in her career, she became the ‘expert’ for the Visiting Nurse Association of the Greater Milford-Northbridge (MA) Area, often speaking and representing her profession at health conferences. Elaine continued to attend many continuing education conferences right up to her retirement, always pursuing her mission to provide the best care.

Her husband Norman passed away in 1994 after 46 years of marriage. A few years later, Elaine moved to Concord, New Hampshire to be closer to her daughter Karen, Karen’s husband Kevin McCarthy, and her grandsons, Daniel and Matthew McCarthy. She felt blessed to be able to be such an active part of their lives.

In Concord, she met Bernard Ash, and they were married in 2006; she at 77 and he at 88.

Elaine dedicated a great deal of her time to causes dear to her heart, and she was such a force of nature that she would frequently be selected to fill leadership positions. One could practically guarantee she would end up leading those organization chapters. She was a President of the League of Women Voters as a proud liberal Democrat, President of Haddasah, and held officer positions for the AARP, Simmons Club, and the Women’s Club of Concord, NH.

Elaine continued her dedication to the community well into her 80s. She volunteered to drive “seniors” to their doctor appointments, took folks shopping, and ran other errands people needed. The Democratic party of New Hampshire even asked her to be a candidate for State Representative, but told her children “I am much too busy!”

Elaine was an outgoing and social woman, who never went anywhere without making new friends. She will be missed by the many friends she collected over the years. Her family will forever cherish and adore the life she lived, and she will be missed and remembered by the many friends she had over the years.

She is survived by her husband Bernard Ash, her daughter Karen McCarthy and husband Kevin of Concord, New Hampshire her daughter Susan Alperin and husband Peter Witham of Franklin, Maine; her sister Marilyn (Goldman) Krueger of Manchester Township, New Jersey; her grandson Daniel McCarthy of Newport Beach, California; her grandson Matthew McCarthy and wife Nicole of Amherst, New Hampshire, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be any funeral service. Elaine dedicated much of her professional career to working with Easter Seals, a leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and special needs. Donations in her memory can be made to Easter Seals of New Hampshire at easterseals.com.nh.