Elfrida F. Popplewell

Elfrida Florence Mahon was born on November 14, 1932 in Trinidad, West Indies. The only child of her mother Elaine Mahon, (also an only child) she lived at home with her mother Elaine and grandmother Rebecca. As a teenager, Elfrida enjoyed a good movie (especially Westerns), going to parties with friends and dancing. She loved to sing along with her favorite crooners, like Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Mathis and Frank Sinatra. When she attended parties, she loved to show her skills on the dance floor. Like her mother Elaine, dancing was a passion they both shared. In 1947, Elfrida met her first and only love, Gladstone Popplewell. Good thing for her, this handsome gentleman was no wimp on the dance floor; he too could “cut a rug”. They became so popular that people stepped aside for the dazzling couple. Elfrida and Gladstone were married on November 19, 1950. Their union produced 10 children, 8 sons and 2 daughters. To everyone’s amazement, the one child tradition that lasted for two generations was finally broken! In 1974, Elfrida and Gladstone left Trinidad and settled in Boston Massachusetts where she learned to drive in her late 40s! She landed her first job at New England Baptist Hospital as a Sterile Supply Technician. While there, she met a lovely lady by the name of Winnifred Bufong. They both shared a special bond beyond mere co-workers. Winnie became one of her dearest friends. Elfrida also had a close bond with her sister-in-law, Cynthia Popplewell, who she would say “is like a real sister to me”. They enjoyed spending time together, shopping, taking ceramic classes, having serious discussions about their favorite soap operas or just sharing a good laugh. One of Elfrida’s favorite past times was learning how to grow different types of plants. Elfrida truly enjoyed nurturing her plants; if you listened closely, you could hear her talking to them. She was also a woman of faith who believed in God, and set aside time to read the Bible and the Daily Devotions. She kept her Bible next to her bed and would read and pray faithfully for her family. In 1988, Elfrida and Gladstone built their dream house in Poinciana, Florida which was equipped with an atrium where she grew exotic flowers and plants. After a few years, Elfrida retired from the Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, then took a Caribbean Cruise with the love of her life. Soon afterwards, she brought her ailing mother from Trinidad to care for her. On September 28, 2005, Elfrida lost her only love of 55 years, and then in 2009 her mother died. Elfrida quickly adjusted to living on her own. She was determined to learn technology later in life so that she could stay connected with her family. Thus, not wanting to be left behind, she learned to use a smart phone, text pictures, download music and much more. With help from her grandson Hakim, there was no stopping her; she even created an avatar of herself and shared memes and other funny media; she will truly be missed. Elfrida is survived by her loving children, Gene, Clive, Steve, Dianne, Derrick, Trevor, Kirt, Dane, Jerome and Sharlene, as well as her grandchildren, David, Andrea, Nigel, Stacey, Afi, Menelick, Talibah, Omari, Keyonna, Aeryun, Elan, Mian, Daniel, Hakim, Joshua, Oronde, Khary, Devin, Sean, Shoshana, Sheldon, Dana, Solelia, Najee, Zaria, Naomi, Jannai, Danielle and 33 great grandchildren.

Elfrida F. Popplewell

November 14, 1932 - September 7, 2019