Obituary of Elaine Rose Kaplan

Elaine Rose Kaplan passed away peacefully on April 17, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. She was 87 years of age. Elaine is survived by sister, Francine Kaplan Fisher (Nathan, z”l); brother, Julius Kaplan (Robin), niece and nephew Ari Fisher and Shayna Fisher Friedman (Jordan) and great nephews Isaiah, Avi, and Lev Friedman as well as numerous cousins. 

Elaine was born in Nashville, Tennessee on August 21, 1936 to Abe and Ada Kaplan, z”l. Her childhood years were spent in Tullahoma, Tennessee where she graduated from Tullahoma High School. She completed her Bachelors Degree from the University of Texas at Austin where she was a member of Sigma Delta Tau Sorority. Elaine lived in Dallas, TX, New York, NY,  Nashville, TN, and Baton Rouge, LA before moving to Denver with Francine in 2019.

Elaine was a beloved family member and friend and the favorite among all of her cousins. She lit up every room she entered with her gregarious nature. She was always at the ready with a compliment, a cocktail, or a joke. Elaine spent most of her career in the fashion industry working in sales. Clients adored her as much as everybody else who met her, and she enjoyed great success in her field. Fiercely independent, she spent 20 years living on Manhattan’s East Side where she was at the center of a tight knit community of friends. She was an art collector and a regular at the Met for the opera and ballet. After retiring from sales, Elaine found a passion for early childhood education and worked at the JCC in Nashville and at Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge caring for infants. She embodied compassion and generosity of spirit. While in her 60’s she made two trips to Eastern Europe to volunteer in orphanages.

Elaine never knew a stranger, and her greatest talent was her ability to make everybody in her midst feel special.

A graveside service will be held at Mt. Nebo cemetery at 10:00 AM on Friday, April 19. Service will be live streamed via Feldman Mortuary's YouTube channel.

A visitation will take place following the service at Shayna Friedman's home until 4pm. 

Location: Home of Shayna Friedman

Address: 7489 East Byers Ave Denver, CO 80230

Date/Time: April 19, 2024 following service until 4pm

Donations in Elaine’s memory may be made to Denver Jewish Day School (denverjds.org)