Elaine R. Gennari
Elaine R. Gennari, RN, 85 of East Providence passed away on Monday, November 27, 2023 at Hattie Ide Chaffee Home. She was the wife of the late George Gennari.
Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Harold and Lillian (Monroe) Collins. Mrs. Gennari began her career in East Providence, as a young graduate nurse, working out of the old Weaver Homestead which housed the East Providence Visiting Nurses' Association. In addition to the East Providence Visiting Nurse Association and the R.I. Department of Health, she has worked in a number of health and human service agencies: Among them were: Newport County Community Mental Health Center, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Associates, Bristol Elder Services, New England Farmworkers' Council; Bristol Community College (Moving-Up Program); Kent County Visiting Nurse Association. Notable among her work experiences and reflecting her ideology in living the beliefs of the concepts of holism and accepting of diversity was her role in teaching job skills to the newly arriving Southeast Asian population in R.I. In 1988. She found or developed jobs, taught the specifics of the jobs to the non-English speaking population, transported them, counseled them, and assisted them with other types of skills that would be need for adaption to this culture. In 1992, she joined the American Holistic Nurses' Association, an organization which incorporated all of her belief systems about the mind-body-spirit connection. While in that organization, she became the R.I. State Coordinator from 1993 -1996. She authored numerous articles which have appeared in local news, professional newsletters, and magazines and for two years, was a Feature Editor for the newsletter, "Beginnings, writing a series of columns titled "Beyond Advocacy- Making It Happen".
Her strong identification with people of differences, led her to the Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona, in 2002, where she volunteered her services for one week, mentoring a kindergarten class with the native teacher. She was active in many community organizations and activities. In addition to those already mentioned, she served on the Board of Trustees- East Providence Public Library from 1981-1985; was a member of R.I. State Nurses' Association and American Nurses' Association; a member of the American Holistic Nurses' Association; Boston University Alumnae Association- Board member and co-chair of the R.I. Scholarship Committee 1993-1996; Served as a Judge at 53rd State Science and Engineering Fair May 2000 and 2001 As a holistic nurse/ counselor/educator took part in judging projects of Junior and Senior High School students in categories of Medicine and Health and Behavioral Medicine
Although never considering herself an athlete, she swam her 1/4-mile laps, two or three times a week faithfully for over 39 years and in 1991, she won a Bronze Medal in the Women's 100 Meter Dash of the R.I. Senior Olympics at Brown University. In 1996, she was one of 1000 participants from 20 countries in the first International Senior Olympics in Bermuda - an event for selected seniors which was based on the World-Scholar Athlete Games of the Institute of International Sport. She won two gold medals - one in Creative Writing and another in the Women's 100-meter dash.
Among her creative writing skills, were the many poems that she wrote about everyday life. Two of them which were written specifically in honor of her children were published in New Voices in American Poetry, (1989) Little One, in tribute to her daughter, Karen and “My Gift of Joy” for her son, Raymond. She will tell all that these two children have been her greatest joy and accomplishment.
She leaves one daughter Karen Bernier and her husband Michael of Riverside, one son Raymond Gennari and his wife Sunshine Menezes of West Kingston, one brother, Rev. Raymond Collins, and one sister, Joan Bloom of East Providence.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday December 1, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. in St. Martha’s Church 2595 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence. Burial will follow in R.I. Veteran’s Cemetery, 301 South County Trail, Exeter, RI. Calling hours will be on Thursday from 6-8 P.M. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to; Hopi Education Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 605, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039, www.hopieducationfund.org
