Plan for the Future
Elena Anne Santoro, 79, of Short Hills, NJ, passed away on May 19, 2022. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave. in Short Hills on Thursday, May 26th at 1pm. Interment will follow at The Chapels at Short Hills. Relatives and friends are invited to visit at Bradley, Smith & Smith Funeral Home, 415 Morris Ave. in Springfield on Wednesday, May 25th from 4 to 8pm.
Born in Cliffside Park and raised in Palisades, NJ, the daughter of Joseph and Viola (Leo) Truncellito, Elena had lived in Livingston for many years before moving to Short Hills 35 years ago. She graduated from Georgian Court College in Lakewood, NJ, with a bachelor’s degree in Education and was a member of the GCC Alumni Association. A teacher in her early years, she left the workforce to raise her family. Elena was a St. Barnabas Hospital Trustee and also served as President of the hospital’s Community Advocates. She was a member of the Short Hills Garden Club, and when her children were in school, she served as PTA President at Riker Hill School in Livingston. A longtime parishioner and Eucharistic minister at St. Rose of Lima Church, Elena loved reading, Broadway shows, and taking photos at family gatherings.
Elena was the beloved wife of 58 years to John J. Santoro, Jr. She was the loving mother of John Santoro (Lisa), Michael Santoro (Monica), and Michelle Cano. She is also survived by her dear sisters, Maria Eachus (Todd) and Joan Oliva (Joe), her cherished “grands” James, Caroline, Brianna, Isabella, Daniel and Mikey, and her grandpuppies Spotty, Lucy, Remy, and Penelope. In lieu of flowers, donations in Elena’s memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Donation Processing, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or www.michaeljfox.org.
We will miss her cheery morning texts, her unconditional love, and her remarkable ability to only see the good in everyone she knew.
