Elsa Falls

Elsa (Detmold) Tucker Falls, 100, passed away peacefully on January 15, 2023, after a long and vibrant life.

Elsa was born in New York City on February 18, 1922, and she grew up in Scarsdale, New York, with her parents and older brother Bill. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Smith College in 1944, where her friends nicknamed her “Tuck,” a name she used the rest of her life. She went on to earn her Master’s degree in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University, where she later taught as a professor. She also served as an elementary school psychologist in the Milford, Connecticut, public schools. She raised her family in Potsdam, New York, and Milford and Orange, Connecticut. After retirement, Elsa divided her time between Stamford, Connecticut; Wayne, Maine; and Singer Island, Florida. She spent her last several years at the Brandon Wilde life care community in Evans, Georgia.

Elsa lived life to the fullest and she filled each day with adventure and friendship. She was a talented athlete, serving as captain of her high school basketball team, and playing golf and tennis into her 80s. She was a skilled duplicate bridge player and loved card games of all kinds. She was also a lifetime learner. In 1992, at 70 years old, she spent three months seeing the world and taking college classes on Semester at Sea. She later took classes in law and current events at Florida Atlantic University. In her late 90s, she took up mahjong and tried her hand at painting and pottery. Elsa was an avid reader of fiction and history and she loved classical music and art.

Elsa was predeceased by her first husband, Laurence Horr Falls, her second husband, Joseph Stillitano, and her daughter Carolyn Falls. She is survived by her three sons William Falls, Thomas Falls, and Stephen Falls, and their wives, as well as by six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center or the World Wildlife Fund in her honor.