Birth date: Jan 11, 1938 Death date: Feb 9, 2013
Elena P. Jaropillo of Chantilly, Virginia passed away on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at the Reston Hospital Center in Reston, VA due to complications arising from her long battle with diabetes. She was born in Talisay, Negros Occi Read Obituary
Thank you Mama Elena for the laughter, smiles, and kindness you bestowed on us. I will always treasure good memories of you here in Loudoun.
I met Elena one very early morning in late 1998. At the time she was working an over night shift baking breads for the hotel functions the next day.
As the bakeshop shrunk from 10 people down to 2pp we were dependant on Elena to preapre breads of all varieties for our brunches and banquets, she was a tireless associate derived from her innate passion for baking, she loved it!
Each day was always a surprise when talking with Elena. She started every sentence with an exciting "you know what"? in her charming Filipina accent. When I replied to her "no what"? She would tell a story of drivining to her families house in Philly or taking her friends on a road trip to New York to driving the Charelstown with her friend Gloria and talk about the load of cash they won that night!! She was one lucky lady when it came to her winnings, I asked that they take me next time so I could win my own little "pot of gold"!!
As time progressed her "you know what?" started to involve her many trips to Doctors appointments, she had no problem defining all the procedures she was enduring.
She would always tell me "you need to drink bitter melon tea!!!" she felt it was a healing elixir for all of the problems of her body.
I bit and went to an Asian Store and bought the bitter melon and made tea. It was prettty bitter but I drank it for a week, maybe it helped?
For Elena, Westfields Kitchen was her "family". This was the place that she wanted to be everyday. All the Associates loved her and welcomed her stories, whatever they were at the moment.
Every Easter Elena would rise very early in the morning and go to a Church where "sunrise" mass was held. Without fail she made it to mass and then to work for a busy Sunday Brunch!
On a busy bakeshop day it was not uncommon to see Elena's apron filled top to bottom with chocolate or batter, I could almost always tell what she made by the end of the day by the (food) colors of her apron!! (I still wonder how she got those clean again?).
Elena's physical being has left us but her spirit remains alive. You can walk into the bakeshop today and feel her presence in the areas that she worked.
It is still hard to believe that she is gone in a physical way she was so unique in every way.
I won't say good-bye to Elena because I know she is not far from us and much of her personal energy is still in the bakeshop and we still have breads she baked in "Freezer # 5"!!
So Elena, "you know what"? I will never forget you and it was my honor to know you and thank you for sharing the latter part of life with us in Westfields Kitchen..I think you know by now that we miss you immensely and I wish I would have wrote some of your recipes down!!
Forever in my heart and thoughts
Chef - Michael Sullivan
