Elaine Rose Alfonso

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and sister, Elaine Rose Alfonso Naccarato. She died unexpectedly on March 7, 2024 at the age of 73. She was blessed to have her husband Frank by her side as she left this life.

Elaine was born on October 17, 1950 in Trinidad, Colorado to Michael Angelo and Josephine (Jo) Garlutzo. Elaine felt grateful and blessed to grow up in a traditional Italian family within a small, diverse community. She cherished her life experiences and the lessons learned there, and always remembered her roots.

Elaine graduated from Trinidad High School in 1968. She earned a BA in Science Education from Adams State College and a Masters degree in Adult Vocational Education and Public School Administration from CSU.

Elaine was a respected and loved educator for 35 years. She taught science at several schools in the San Luis Valley and southern Colorado. She also held administrative positions at Lamar Community College and Trinidad State Junior College. She later joined the staff of Powell Middle School where she spent the majority of her career teaching science and drama. She served as a teacher union representative on the Littleton Public Schools bargaining team. Elaine was selected as a Fulbright Scholar and had the opportunity to teach in Oxford, England for a year as well. After retiring from Powell, she spent an additional year at Martin Luther King Middle School. Next to her love of family, Elaine's greatest passion was being a teacher. She found such joy from building relationships with her students, bringing science to life, and having fun both in the classroom & on their annual spring class trips to Florida. She was a gifted teacher who was proud of her innovative, creative lessons as well as the impact she made on her students' lives.

As in other areas of her life, Elaine created her family in her unique way. She was first married to Frank Naccarato. They had one daughter and subsequently divorced. Several years later, Elaine married Daniel Alfonso. They had one daughter and also opened their home to one of Elaine’s students who became the son of their hearts. After Daniel’s death and later in life, Elaine and Frank remarried. After the loss of their adopted son, Elaine & Frank adopted their son's sister of the heart and her family.

Elaine had an unparalleled zest for life. She packed more into her 73 years than anyone else we knew. She was the ultimate example of unconditional love, generosity, compassion, integrity, empathy, and loyalty. Whatever she set out to do, be it a goal for herself or a task to help another, she didn’t stop until it was done. She was very loyal and always did what she said she would do. Ultimately, her family was most important. She loved her family and enjoyed gathering with them as much as she could. She loved planning meals & parties and trying new recipes - making each and every event special. Even as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, she was our teacher, instilling in all of us the values and traditions she embraced, especially the importance of remembering our “roots”.

Elaine was a world traveler. She especially enjoyed seeing new places and learning about other cultures. Yet she was always eager to return home to her family. Traveling reinforced her appreciation of her roots and her values: the importance of family, embracing and helping others, appreciating and accepting differences. Elaine loved the performing & visual arts. She enjoyed all aspects of theater and attended performances in numerous venues often. She was especially intrigued with how shows were interpreted and presented and looked forward to discussions about her experiences. Making, finding and gifting jewelry was another one of Elaine’s passions. She was inspired by the creativity, talent and use of materials by the artists whose pieces she admired and bought.

Elaine was a travel agent and event planner extraordinaire. In her retirement, she was active in and had leadership roles in social organizations and clubs such as Western Slavonic Association (WSA) and Sons and Daughters of Italy. Whether she was planning trips for family and friends, outings to restaurants, cruises, plays, picnics and dances for WSA, or service projects for military families and veterans, she was excited and happy to bring joy to others. Her savvy with people, attention to detail and desire to make fun experiences and opportunities available to all endeared her to others and earned their admiration and respect.

All of her life, Elaine was beloved by family and friends near and far. She was truly a gift from God to all of us.

Elaine was predeceased by her parents Michael Angelo and Josephine (Jo) Garlutzo, husband, Daniel Alfonso, son, Spencer Kryzyek and brother Charles Garlutzo.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Frank (Chico) Naccarato, daughters Alicia (Rick) Reneau, Seryna (Brett) Alfonso, grandchildren, Nick Reneau, Ryan Reneau, Carisa (Joel) Juarez, Grayden Wiebke, Giaña Wiebke, great grandchildren Finley and Evee Kate Reneau, sisters Pauline (Bert) Rhodes and Irma Zappanti, adopted daughter Gina (Brian) Bedell and adopted grandchildren Brendan Sellers, Ariella Bedell, Brittany (Lance) Dean and adopted great granddaughter Maliyah Wells as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Laine Rosie Memorial Scholarship Fund.

https://bold.org/funds/laine-rosie-memorial-scholarship-fund/