Obituary of Elena O. Mas

Elena Mas, 66, of West New York, NJ, passed away on October 14th, 2023. She was the daughter of Anoland Molinet & Pepe Mas, the Life Partner of Lorraine Volpe, the mother of Alexandra Mas Cepero, Justin Mas, Elena Mas Volpe, & Rosa Mas Volpe, and the sister of Marisol Brage.

Elena was born in Cuba on March 16th, 1957. At 8 years old, she & her family fled the Castro regime to pursue life as Americans. At 18, during the mid-70s, Elena bravely proclaimed herself a gay woman. By 22, she had become the first in her family to earn a Bachelor's Degree and went on to earn her Master's in Criminal Justice from John Jay College. Once she completed her education, Elena became a probation officer specializing in juvenile cases. At 24, she met her life partner, Lorraine, after deciding to post a personal ad in the newspaper, The Village Voice. The next few decades were spent building a family together, a triumph for lesbians in the 80s and 90s. With a son and 3 daughters constantly running around, life certainly was never dull. Elena cherished the details of life, always ensuring she dressed fashionably, spoke loquaciously, and wore her heart on her sleeve.

A trailblazer for LGBTQ+ families & an advocate for criminal justice, we are heartbroken to say goodbye. She lived life ahead of the curve and paved the way for the next generation.

A Mass will be held on Thursday, October 19th 2023 at 10:30am at St. John the Evangelist Church in Leonia, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to West New York Leones Cubanos de Hudson Lions Club, PO Box 56, West New York, NJ 07093.