News

By Steven J. Smith

    BOCA RATON — Gus Centrone said if he had to sum up the life of his sister Elena in a brief sentence, it would be that she was a giver to others; one who always put another’s needs above her own.
    Born on Feb. 14, 1951, in Philadelphia, Ms. Centrone moved to Florida’s east coast in the early 1970s to pursue her studies and career. She lived a scholarly life, earning bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in education from Florida Atlantic University.
    Never married and with no children of her own, Ms. Centrone dedicated her life to teaching children. In her 37 years with the Broward County school system, she filled many roles as an educator — teacher, assistant principal, secondary reading supervisor and a trainer for the human resources department.
    “She spent most of her career working with elementary school and middle school kids,” Centrone said. “She always wanted to help children and teach them how to read.”
    Centrone added literacy was a passion with Ms. Centrone. In her free time, she worked as a volunteer with the Boca Raton Library. She also volunteered with the Tri-County Humane Society, another cause close her heart.
    “She always loved animals,” Centrone said. “I think what fueled that love was the fact that she lived in a condo that didn’t allow them. So volunteering with the Humane Society gave her a way to be around them. She wanted to play a part in rescuing abused animals.”
    Elena’s passions comprised more than teaching children and caring for animals, he added. She had a great many close friends and was an avid traveler, visiting at least 45 of the 50 states as well as Canada and many foreign countries as well including Sweden, Finland, England and Italy.
    Her life was cut short at age 63 when she succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Jan. 1 after a three-month battle with the disease.
    “I’ll always remember her warm heart,” Centrone said. “She was born on Valentine’s Day, which says a lot about her and truly fit her as a person. Elena loved her family, loved her nieces and great-nieces and nephews. She took care of both of our parents when they were going through health issues before they died. She was very professional and ethical, but loved to have fun. People loved to be around her. She was probably the most decent person I’ve ever known.”
    Memorials in Elena Centrone’s name can be offered to St. Jude Hospital or the Tri-County Humane Society in Boca Raton.