Elaine S. Rosen of Randolph, formerly of Needham, passed away peacefully, entered into rest on July 29, 2025 at the age of 97.
Devoted daughter of the late Louis and Ida (Byer) Selib. Beloved wife of the late Irwin S. Rosen of 62 years, devoted mother of Laura Rosen and her husband Henry Ragin of Needham, MA and Louis Rosen of Albuquerque, NM. Loving Bubbe of Kostya Ragin and Rustam Ragin, great grandmother of Skyla and Desiree Ragin. Sister of the late Doris Goldberg (Mike), Freda Opper (Edward), Sarah Sheinfeld (Heshy), Edward Selib, Charlotte Singer, and Marilyn Cardis (David). Also survived by nieces and nephews.
Elaine grew up at 59 Bernard Street in Dorchester, not far from Codman Square. Her parents, immigrants from Eastern Europe, presided over their household of seven children, of whom Elaine was the youngest, and a steady stream of relatives, neighbors and friends who often visited and sometimes stayed. She attended the Sarah Greenwood Elementary School and graduated from the Dorchester High School for Girls, where she was an outstanding student. She married Irwin, a boy from the neighborhood, and in 1959 moved with their two small children to a little house in the country – suburban Randolph – where there were cows in a nearby field, a chicken farm down the street, and roads were still unpaved. When her father died, Elaine’s mother moved in as well and remained until her death. She and Irwin raised a family, struggling through hard financial times, but found their feet. Then they travelled.
Many happy decades had passed in their well-loved home by the time Irwin died and Elaine moved to Needham with her daughter Laura, son-in-law Henry, grandsons Kostya and Rustam, and for a time great granddaughter Skyla.
Elaine was a founding and longtime active member of Temple Beth Am Randolph. A lifelong Jewish learner and bat mitzvah in her 60’s. Vivacious, outgoing, energetic, Elaine was a people magnet with a multitude of longtime friends. She made a world class chicken soup and baked a weekly homemade challah. Ice skater, ballroom dancer, avid reader, master needleworker, Red Sox fan. She was good at everything she turned her hand to.
Elaine’s Memorial Service will be held at Schlossberg Family’s Chapel on the Hill, 824 Washington Street, Canton on Thursday August 7 at noon followed by interment at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon.
Shiva (open house) will be held at Laura and Henry’s home in Needham immediately following the burial through 5:30PM and 7-9PM, continuing Friday, August 8th from 1-4PM and Sunday, August 10th from 1-5PM.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to MSPCA-Angell, 350 S Huntington Avenue, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 (MSPCA.org) or the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, 126 High Street, Boston, MA 02110 (ma.cjp.org)
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