Amy C. Elshant, 46, of Middletown, RI, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on September 9, 2023, at Newport Hospital.
Amy was born in South Kingstown, RI, she was the daughter of Catherine (Smith) Elshant and the late George E. Elshant Jr. of Middletown.
Besides her mother Cate, Amy leaves her brothers: Gregory Elshant, (Christina Raffa) of Portsmouth, Daniel Elshant, (Danielle) of Middletown, and Paul Elshant, (Erica) of Middletown.
Amy is also survived by her three nieces and one nephew: Carmen, Lorelei, Sebastian, and Ella Elshant.
She was the granddaughter of the late George E. and Geraldine (Augustus) Elshant and Francis and Mary (MacNulty) Smith. Amy leaves behind many aunts, uncles and cousins whom she considered all her favorites.
If you knew Amy, you loved Amy. Her bright and outgoing personality made her a treasured friend to anyone she met. She lit up every room she entered and had a deep love for all of her friends and family. She was always checking in on friends and family members or waving and shouting hello to neighbors (Amy’s favorite t-shirt reminded everyone “I’m not Loud, I’m Portuguese”). Amy loved to be around people. Her joyful laugh and sharp sense of humor always kept the party going.
At age 2, Amy was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the cardiovascular system and learning abilities. Amy overcame so much of this to lead an extremely full life. She was blessed with extraordinary teachers throughout her school years, including Mrs. Linda LaPointe, Mrs. Mary Sinnott and Mrs. Debbie Circosta, and in 1998 she graduated from Middletown High School. She also attended the culinary program at Rogers High School.
One of Amy’s greatest joys after High School was her job at Ocean State Transit where she worked for over 20 years as a Special Needs bus monitor. She was a bright smiling face every morning and afternoon for her students. When not on the bus, Amy enjoyed spending time with her coworkers: going out to lunch, dressing up for Halloween, and she always looked forward to their annual Christmas party. Amy loved music and especially loved to dance. Every wedding, every party, every family gathering, to any song, Amy would be on the dance floor. We know for sure that she is dancing in heaven.
Over the past few years, Amy’s health started to decline, but she maintained her positive attitude and rolled with every punch her body threw at her. Spending more time at home, she was surprised by her family with a kitten, Jack, for her birthday last year. Jack has been a wonderful companion for her and brought her happiness every day.
Amy will be deeply missed, but knowing that she has passed into the arms of her loving Heavenly Father is very comforting.
Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI. Her funeral service will be Wednesday at 10:00 AM at the funeral home.
The burial will be private.
In honor of Amy’s beloved cousin, Finley Price, who is currently battling childhood cancer, donations may be made to St. Baldrick’s Foundation, www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/1128566 or to the Williams Syndrome organization: www.williams-syndrome.org
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