Erika Elkins Obituary (1949 - 2024)

Erika Elkins, age 74, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, in Portland, Maine. Born November 15, 1949, in Watertown, NY, the daughter of the late Walter Elkins and the late Ilse (Plank) Elkins. Erika was raised on US Army bases in the US and Germany eventually completing middle school and high school in Bolzano, Italy. She attended nursing school in Kufstein, Austria and secretarial school in Summit, NJ. Erika lived in Short Hills, New Jersey working administrative assistant positions in New York City and New Jersey most notably at the first US office for the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS). She was an administrative assistant for the leadership team and loved using her bilingual skills to support both Swiss and American executives. She lived briefly in Rockford, IL and Fair Haven, NJ, but didn’t feel truly home until she moved to Portland, ME. She was a 30-year resident of Portland working for the Maine Visitor and Convention Bureau and the Maine Audubon Society before retiring. She loved exploring different areas of Maine and traveled throughout New England for her genealogical research. Erika is survived by her daughters, Tina Peters (Geoff Lange), Stephanie Siwinski and son, Paul Raad, and her grandchildren Madeline Siwinski, Avery Siwinski, Charlie Lange, Nathaniel Lange and Lucas Raad. She is predeceased by her son-in-law Benjamin John Siwinski. Erika was determined woman who charmed all that she met. She was a beloved “Omi” to her grandchildren and will be missed. Private services will be held in the spring. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.