Honoring Elsa Maria Rylands' Legacy

Our beloved sister Elsa Maria Rylands of Ossining, NY ascended to the spiritual world at 7:35 PM Thursday, August 08, 2024.

Elsa’s Life – Family and Service to Others

Elsa was born in Bogotá, Colombia on Dec. 18, 1953. She was six when her family moved to Guaduas, a country village nearby, where her mother Sara worked as a teacher. Tragically around the age of twelve she lost her father, Carlos Parra, Elsa’s hero, a talented jazz musician. She and her five siblings would travel to Bogotá on weekends for plays, music, dance, and other activities. Elsa enjoyed playing basketball and sports in general. She sang in chorus, played the trumpet, and was a theater/drama director for her fellow students. She graduated High School in 1971 with her two sisters, Stella and Sara Patricia. After working with her Grandfather in Bogotá and spending time with her Tío Jorge in Puerto Rico, she came to the USA in May of 1974. Elsa was then a governess for well-to-do families, ending in late November of 1977 as she joined the Unification movement full-time in Tarrytown, NY. She did missionary-type work in the Bronx, NY until 1986 the start of her family.

Elsa was introduced to Alan W Rylands, of Chicago, IL, on Dec. 30, 1980 and they became engaged at once. On July 01, 1982, Elsa & Alan were blessed in marriage at NYC’s Madison Square Garden, a Unification mass wedding with 2,075 couples. In 1985, about five years from when Elsa and Alan first met, they conceived twins. Arthur and Albert were born in 1986. After that came Adele, then Alfred, and finally Edward. It was five children in six years. Oh boy, the number of diapers seemed unlimited! They lived in a Manhattan apartment for three years before moving to a rental-house in Forest Hills, Queens. The family enjoyed long walks, going to the many city parks, and reading. Elsa and the kids were also fond of the numerous driving vacations they took with their Dad. Also, she became a naturalized US Citizen and from 1997-1999 got the academic equivalent of Associate from CUNY Hunter College.

In January of 2000, Elsa and Alan bought a house in Ossining, NY. It became a home not just for Elsa’s family, but provided a home for close relatives, friends, and welcomed guests, mi casa es su casa. She lived there for the rest of her life. Elsa became a Teaching Assistant at Ossining High School where she taught special education kids for twenty-three years. The kids and teachers adored her. Elsa also loved trips abroad with her sisters, daughter, and grandson. Lastly, she was involved in a communal garden and homeowners group from 2020. Everyone who knew her knows that she was a very sweet & gentle soul.

Elsa is survived by:

Her husband Alan; her five children, Arthur, Albert, Adele, Alfred, Edward; her five siblings, Stella, Sara Patricia, Juan Carlos, Richard, Zelma; last, but certainly not least, the apple of her eye, her two-year-old grandson Robin; as well as an extremely large extended family. Elsa is moving on to the third level of life and will continue to bring love and light to the earthly and heavenly worlds.