ELAINE JEAN CUSHMAN, 89, of Las Cruces and formerly of Normal, Illinois, died peacefully Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at Mesilla Valley Hospice.  She was born September 4, 1934, in South Wilmington, Illinois, a daughter of John and Genevieve (Enrietta) Hakey. She married Roger Cushman on August 28, 1954, in Bloomington, Illinois.

She is survived by her husband, Roger; daughter: Lori Saiki, of Las Cruces; son: Steven Stein Cushman (Elissa), of New York City; three grandchildren: Rose DuCharme, of Paris, France; Jeremy Cushman, (Natalie) of Edina, Minnesota; and Rebecca Cushman, of New York City; one great-grandchild, Ethan Cushman, also of Edina, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister and two infant daughters.

Elaine graduated from Illinois State University in 1958 and taught elementary grades in Illinois and Missouri schools for 30 years. Her last 25 years of teaching were in Normal, Illinois.

She retired in 1992 so she could spend more time with her grandchildren who were living in Colorado and New York. She adored the grandkids and was always present for the important events in their lives. She also organized annual vacations with them at national parks in the west and resorts in the east.

She and her husband moved to Colorado in 2012 to be near their daughter and granddaughter and then settled in Las Cruces in 2016 when their daughter joined the School of Nursing faculty at NMSU.

Elaine was an avid sports fan, traveling frequently with her husband, a sports publicist, to events from coast to coast. She gave her allegiance to New Mexico State after moving here and was thrilled to see the Aggies football team win the Arizona Bowl in 2017. The accompanying photo shows her reaction to the Aggies scoring the winning touchdown in overtime.

She was a voracious reader who, as a child, scoured her small town to borrow books from residents after exhausting her school's tiny library. She instilled a love of literature in her children and was a member of numerous book clubs. She also was talented in the crafts, especially in cross-stitching. Many of her beautiful works are now family heirlooms.

By living in college towns near major cities, she and her husband had the good fortune to see hundreds of famed theater and music artists through the years. They also had many wonderful travel and learning experiences through Elderhostel (now Road Scholar).

Elaine's family and friends will miss her dearly but are grateful for her long, fulfilling, and enjoyable life.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in Illinois where she has many friends and relatives.

Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapel of Las Cruces and Sunset Crematory, 300 E. Boutz Road, 527-2222. Your exclusive provider for "Veterans and Family Memorial Care." For online condolences logon to www.bacasfuneralchapelslascruces.com