Melinda Garofalo Elvander

Melinda (Garofalo) Elvander passed away in her sleep on March 30, 2026. She was preceded in death by her brother, William (Bill) Garofalo, and sister, Vitti Stein.

She leaves behind her beloved husband of 63 years Robert (Bob) Elvander; daughter, Erika Elvander; son, Josh Elvander (Jennifer Haefeli); cherished granddaughters, Catalina and Elise; and friends and family all over the country.

Melinda (Garofalo) Elvander was born September 20, 1939, to a large Italian American family in Paterson, New Jersey. Surrounded by a large extended family in a 10-block radius, Mom yearned for the quiet of the country.

So, Melinda ran away to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where she expected to major in home economics. Discovering that Bates had no home economics program and worse, nine months of winter, she decided to major instead in having fun, and, eventually English.

The family story goes that she asked Bob to the Sadie Hawkins dance in 1957. They dated other people for a while and then got together the winter of their senior year “on the rebound” (the longest rebound in history, her children believe). Melinda also claimed that the best grades she ever received were her senior year because Bob was a serious student and spent a lot of time in the library. (Her daughter found her college transcript. Melinda was not inaccurate in describing her grades.).

Upon graduation from Bates, Melinda returned to northern New Jersey and worked in local elementary schools. She married Robert on October 7, 1962. A rabid sports fan, evidence suggests that Melinda would’ve preferred to elope and go to the Yankees game. Melinda’s parents thought otherwise, and they had a proper wedding in Paterson and moved to Fort Lee, NJ while Bob finished his graduate degree in meteorology. They relocated to the DC Metro area in 1966 when Bob got hired at the National Weather Service. Melinda became a school librarian for a short while. In 1968, they moved to Forest Mill Lane in Laurel, Maryland where they stayed - minus a short posting to Oklahoma for six months so Bob could fulfill his forecasting obligation - until June 2025. From 1981 to 2002 Melinda taught English at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel. Her children still have memories of being far away from the area and people saying Elvander - are you related to Mrs. E? Melinda stayed close to her friends and students from Pallotti.

Melinda and Bob created a life together filled with laughter, Italian food, bawdy jokes, cocktails, oh so many cats and one beleaguered dog, birdwatching trips, hockey (go CAPS!) and baseball (go O’s!), National Symphony Orchestra concerts, and - once the kids moved out - even more birdwatching.

Melinda enjoyed knitting, a trashy mystery novel, meals with friends, and shopping for her grandchildren. Never one for the city, she loved Maine, where she and Bob vacationed regularly for years. After Melinda and Bob retired, they continued to travel until they could no longer do so. There were many cruises with their kids and grandkids (which bordered between kind invitations and obligatory voyages) and more birdwatching on ecotourism trips around the world. (Erika and Josh both have distinct memories of going traveling and being handed 3-paged single-spaced lists of birds from Mom and Dad’s trips).

Melinda and Bob relocated to Riderwood Senior Living last summer. Even as Melinda’s dementia necessitated a move to the memory care facility, the healthcare staff enjoyed her spitfire personality and her stories. Erika and Josh want to thank the memory care unit at Riderwood and Hospice of Montgomery County staff for the care and compassion they gave their mother at the end of her life.

Mrs. E was cremated. A celebration of life will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, that family asks that donations be made to the National Audubon Society (audubon.org), the Chesapeake Conservancy (www.chesapeakeconservancy.org), or Bates College (bates.edu/give).