Elsa Cohen

Elsa V. Cohen, 86, passed peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 in Mountainside, NJ. Elsa was born in Peru, and raised four children in the capital city of Lima. She worked as a schoolteacher, and was also a talented seamstress and dressmaker, eventually relocating with the family to the United States in the 1980's. Elsa was preceded in death by her youngest son, Julian Reátegui Cohen. She is survived by her three children, Sara, Eduardo and Esther, 9 grandchildren including the eldest, Raquel, who she raised, and 10 great-grandchildren. Elsa was a devoted and lifelong member of the Seventh Day Adventist church, having served as the pianist for the Plainfield congregation, where she was a founding member. More recently, she had been a member of the congregation in Dunellen. Elsa, who was lovingly known as Mamá Elsa, will be remembered for her amazing sense of humor, quick wit and sarcasm, and boundless love for those dearest to her. Mamá Elsa was a selfless and charitable woman, often visiting and caring for the poor, sick and needy. She volunteered her time assisting recently arrived immigrants, ensuring their successful transition to life here in the U.S. Mamá Elsa never denied a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She will always be remembered by her family as a loving and wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Funeral services will begin on Monday, September 28, 2020 at 10AM in the McCriskin - Gustafson Home For Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield NJ 07080. Family and friends may gather in the funeral home on Sunday from 3-6PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made directly to the Cohen Family.