Elaine Organek’s Monroe EMS family wishes her a fond farewell

MONROE, CT — A vase of yellow flowers below a framed photo of Elaine Organek inside St. Jude Catholic Church seemed to symbolize the Rev. Joseph Gill’s sermon of the cycle of life and death. When the ground is frozen, animals make rare appearances and nothing is growing, but before you know it flowers bloom in the spring, leaves sprout from the trees and animals come out of hibernation.

“We know Elaine’s life was grounded in Jesus Christ,” Gill said of the late Elaine Organek, a Monroe resident and a Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service member of over 30 years. “We have hope for her resurrection, just as we believe in Christ’s resurrection. He is the truth our hearts seek. We remember the life of a woman who touched many lives — a woman of strong faith.”

Organek’s nephews, Steve and Craig, organized the funeral mass for their aunt, which was held late Saturday morning.

Monroe EMS had a strong presence among the close to 100 mourners. An ambulance and an EMS SUV were parked in front of the church and a section of pews filled up with volunteers in full uniform, wearing their EMS jackets.

Steve Organek stood up and told the congregation how he and his brother, who live out-of-state, got to know more about their aunt later in life, when she attended all of their family functions.

He spoke fondly of her sense of humor, her consistency and how she kept every business card people gave her over the years, garnering a collection from miles around.

“There are a lot of EMS stories and uniforms in her closet,” Steve said. “EMS was a big part of her life — and the Special Olympics. Her family was here.”