Elena C. Niell
Elena C. Niell passed away at home in Stamford, Connecticut, on March 27, 2020 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Elena was born in Argentina in 1944, the daughter of Maria E. and Isaac S. Cuadros. She graduated from Colegio Jesus Maria High School in her hometown of Cordoba with a Teacher’s Degree. She went on to earn Bachelor and Master degrees in Educational Science from the Universidad Catolica de Cordoba, a Jesuit university in Argentina. Her first teaching position was at the Colegio Jesus Maria La Calera, also in Cordoba.
In 1966 she married Dr. Jose P. Niell and moved to the United States settling in Connecticut.
Elena taught Spanish for English Speakers for many years in after-school programs in Stamford grammar schools and adult-education programs. She then earned an Associate Degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Norwalk Community College. Elena taught English as a Second Language for seniors at Our Lady of Monserrat Center in Stamford and at the Stamford South End Community Center to local Spanish-speaking and Haitian adult communities. She later taught college-level Spanish at Southern Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, and Norwalk Community College.
Elena was a parishioner of St. Cecilia Church in Stamford for nearly 50 years and enjoyed participating in many of the religious studies programs. She was a regular volunteer at Smith House of Stamford (now known as The Villa), visiting residents and building special friendships over the years. Elena was a longtime and avid member of the Italian Center of Stamford.
She is survived by her husband, Jose P. Niell, her daughter, Elena M. Niell, her son, Jose S. Niell, and wife, Heidi, and her daughter, Maria Bannon and husband, Kevin, and their two children, Joseph and Brian. Elena is also survived by her younger brother, Dr. Santiago Cuadros, his wife, Liliana, and their six children. She was especially close to her youngest cousin, Dr. Jorge Buteler, who was like a brother to her.
Additionally, she was part of a close-knit community of friends from Argentina living in the United States who essentially became her family, spending weekends, holidays and vacations together.
In lieu of flowers, you are welcome to make a donation in her name to Catholic Relief Services, (http://www.crs.org), Jesuits USA Northeast Province (http://www.sjnen.org/donate) or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (http://www.lustgarten.org/ donate).