Elaine Patel Obituary
Elaine Gendelman Patel was born on March 25th, 1935 in Buffalo, NY. She is the daughter of Lillian and Simon. Elaine graduated from Fosdick Masten Park High School and went on to earn a degree in Secretarial Science from The University of Buffalo. Elaine first met her husband Benjamin when she was only 3 years old as her older brother Irving was a close friend of Ben.
Flash forward 19 years and after reconnecting at a wedding, Elaine and Ben were married on November 6, 1955. They lived in a beautiful home in Williamsville, NY, raising a family and giving life to her cherished children Randi, Gary, and Marc. In 1979, the family relocated to Houston, TX where Elaine began work as an executive secretary for Sperry-Sun Drilling Services which later became part of Halliburton Energy Services.
Even in the midst of company-wide layoffs, her contributions were so valued that she retained her position for 24 years until she retired in 2004. Before and after retirement, Elaine and Ben traveled the world visiting many countries including Israel, Germany, Italy, Russia and Greece. They especially enjoyed traveling by cruise ship and often visited their daughter Randi while she was managing salons on various cruise lines.
The family and many of her close friends enjoyed participating in her elaborate dinner parties. Elaine was an active member of her synagogue, Brith Shalom, for 38 years and she participated in civic affairs including Haddassa. She loved volunteering as a teacher"s aide at her daughter-in-law Barbara"s school. She and Ben were regulars at couples club, bridge club, and lectures at the world affairs council.
She cherished Tuesday Maj with her girlfriends. Elaine was incredibly energetic, devout in her faith, and deeply devoted to her family. She never complained nor had a bad word to say about anybody and was loved by all. She is survived by her husband Benjamin, brother Irving, children Randi, Gary and Marc, daughter-in-laws Barbara and Brenda, son-in-law John, and granddaughters Kate and Jane.
