Elena M. Vitale

Cherished daughter, sister, and aunt dreamed of being a nurse

Our baby, Elena M. Vitale, 21, passed away on Feb. 7, 2019, in a house fire, along with the family dog, Monkey.

Elena, "Our Bukie," was born on July, 10, 1997, in Staten Island, N.Y. She graduated from Repairers of the Breach Christian Academy in 2018. She was currently enrolled in St. Paul's Nursing School in the medical assistant program. Her dream was to one day become a registered nurse.

Elena is survived by her parents, Sherrie L. Vitale (Moore) and James M. Vitale (Retired NYPD Detective Sergeant).

She also leaves behind her brother, Jay Pepino (Vitale) and sisters, Amanda Traverso-Pavlovsky (Michael), Chelsea Traverso and Marissa Traverso. The light of her life was her young niece and nephew, Isabella Rose Traverso-Pavlovsky and Thomas James Traverso-Pavlovsky.

She is also survived by her paternal grandfather, Ronald A. Vitale (Retired NYPD), and her very best friend, Brianna McBratney. She is also survived and adored by her aunts, Annamarie DeSimone (Stephen), Lisa Borghese (Michael) and Susan Conanan (Samuel), Barbara Hargadon, Valerie Pilla (Tony) and a great many cousins.

Elena was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Lynda J. Moore (Myers), maternal grandfather, Kenneth E. Moore, and paternal grandmother, Maureen R. Vitale (Grams).

We have no words to express the love we hold for our youngest child, our baby. Our only saving Grace is that we stand firm in our belief that she is now in the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are grateful that God allowed her not to burn to death; she was found as beautiful in death as in life.

Our dog, Monkey, was a gift for her 13th birthday, until she came crying to my husband and myself that "she was unable to handle the puppy." This will always be one of our funniest memories, but also one of our saddest. Monkey died, laying across Elena's chest. We feel blessed that she was not alone.

Visitation is Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., at Harmon Funeral Home. Funeral is 10 a.m. Thursday at Salem Evangelical Free Church, 634 Clove Rd., Staten Island, N.Y. 10310.

Because of Elena's generous heart, in lieu of flowers we believe she would have loved to know that a donation would be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Harmon Funeral Home

571 Forest Ave.

Staten Island, N.Y. 10310

(718) 442-5056

Published in Staten Island Advance on Feb. 11, 2019