Elaine Wahlstad Littlehales

February 18, 1931 - August 23, 2022

Elaine Wahlstad Littlehales, age 91, died on August 23, 2022. She arrived into this world on February 18, 1931, born to Wilford and Esther Wahlstad from Plainfield, NJ.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, the 3rd at the Branford Bible Chapel from 10 a.m. until noon.

A private service for the family will be held later Saturday afternoon with her ashes spread in Long Island Sound.

Elaine attended Colby College in New Hampshire, and while there met her future husband, George Grosbeck Littlehales who was attending Dartmouth. They settled on the shore in Branford Connecticut where Elaine could be found raising her 3 children, sailing, gardening, and cooking a wide variety of game for her family.

Elaine enjoyed working in a variety of positions throughout her life. Before she married, she donned her white cotton gloves and went into Manhattan to work at Mackenzie’s and, of course, lunched at the counter at Schrafft’s. When her family moved to Florida, she worked with Nascar timing the racers as they ran their trials on Daytona Beach. Once living in Branford, she became active with the Pine Orchard Association, working in the tax office and eventually collaborating on a book chronicling the history of her beloved village on the sound.

Elaine was known for having extensive knowledge about a variety of topics. Lovingly referred to as, “google”, Elaine could provide information on just about any topic from how to properly prune a rhododendron to the migration patterns of the hummingbird. However, the subject she was most passionate about studying was her Bible. Elaine was a treasured member of Branford Bible Chapel where she attended worship faithfully and taught Women’s Bible Studies.

Creativity and ingenuity were strengths, and these skills could be seen showcased publicly on Halloween when she would put together show stopping costumes for her children. She also enjoyed creating costumes for the annual Pine Orchard 4th of July Parade, especially during the years where there were actual winners and people went all out. Her craftsmanship was also demonstrated in the legendary props and backgrounds she created for her church’s VBS programs.

Elaine’s consistency and strength will be missed by her family, her neighborhood, and her church. Her convictions and standards lent a dignity and grace to her surroundings which hopefully will be carried on in her absence.

Elaine was predeceased by her husband, George whom she was married for forty-seven years. She is survived by her 3 children, J. Mark (Megan) Littlehales of Marlboro, VT, Tom ( Jennifer) Littlehales of Rochester VT, and Sara (Bob) Wessel of Trussville AL. Elaine’s grandchildren are Eric (Mariah) Littlehales, Jeremy Littlehales, Trey (Alexis) Wessel, Brooke Wessel, and Marit Wessel.

The family would also like to thank Connecticut Hospice, especially nurses Janet and Lauren for their exceptional care.