ELAINE MARY PECYNA

When remembering a loved one lost, it can be easy, if not natural, to think of ourselves first. Because once they are gone, we remember them for what they were to us–be it a mother, a daughter, a sister, or a friend.
Elaine Mary Pecyna (nee Badiuk) was all of these things—and much more. Having been a dental hygienist for 35 years, some will remember her as a professional or a colleague in the office. And yet others, they will think only of the bubbly young girl that was once a childhood friend and classmate in Ukrainian school.
For those who didn’t know her well, she just might be the one who laughed the loudest at the party.
Without a doubt, those who carry Elaine’s memory will remember her for the vivacity of her spirit. And though her moxie was an acquired taste to some, it’s what made her who she was—so uniquely and unmistakably “Elaine.”
No matter your experience with her, all can agree that she was far from ordinary. Elaine lived in just the same way that she loved, unapologetically.
For the few that truly knew Elaine, they know that underneath it all, she was a hopelessly tender and sensitive soul. She couldn’t help but put her heart on the line; it was simply in her way.
As such, heartache was something she knew too well in her lifetime. Though not always an easy way to live, it made her capable of profound love.
A testament to this was the incomparable love that she felt as a mother. It was clear to anyone who spent the shortest time in her company. To look into Elaine’s eyes as she beheld her son and daughter was to realize what it means to love something so entirely that it becomes the reason you live.
She loved her children dearly, and in the end this love was her bliss.
In the early hours of Jan. 25, 2016, Elaine Mary Pecyna passed away at her home, with those who loved her most at her bedside.
She was 58 yeas old, having been born on Aug. 16, 1957.
Surviving Elaine are her parents, Metro and Mary Badiuk; children, Andrew and Alyssa Pecyna; sister, Joan Merkel (Donald); niece, Leah Hoberg; and nephew, Tyler Merkel.