Elaine Loughran Boyle, devoted to faith, family

Elaine Loughran Boyle, 91, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away peacefully Sunday, March 16, 2025, surrounded by family near and far.

Elaine was the beloved daughter of Edward and Jane (Hookey) Loughran and the youngest of 11 children. She attended Melrose Academy and Eden Hall High School before graduating from Manhattanville College in 1955 with degrees in psychology and scripture. While at Manhattanville, she played varsity field hockey and basketball, and was a proud member of the Pius X choir.

After college, Elaine followed a deep calling to enter the Sisters of the Sacred Heart Convent in Albany, N.Y. However, it soon became clear that her greatest calling was to be a mother rather than Mother Superior. After leaving the convent, she worked at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., as secretary to the dean of the medical school before later joining Consolidated Steamship Company, where she and her close girlfriends enjoyed many adventures.

In the summer of 1962, Elaine met the love of her life, Tom Boyle, in Rehoboth Beach. They married August 1963 and spent 54 wonderful years together, raising three children and cherishing their roles as grandparents to 10 grandchildren. Elaine was an extraordinary mother, a talented homemaker, a gourmet cook and instructor, a successful real estate agent, and a dedicated board member and volunteer. She built a life centered around faith, service, and friendship, touching the lives of many.

Elaine and Tom took many adventures with family and friends. Her most memorable of which was traveling to Rome, Italy, to visit with Pope John Paul II and attend the canonization of her third cousin, Mother Katharine Drexel, of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

She was an active parishioner at St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Greenville and St. Edmond in Rehoboth Beach, where she served on numerous committees and boards. Her volunteer work was extensive, spanning St. Edmond’s Academy, Ursuline Academy, Salesianum School, Wilmington Flower Market, the Garden Club of Wilmington, Meals on Wheels, Rehoboth Beach Museum, Village Improvement Association, Henlopen Acres Beach Club, and many other organizations.

Elaine’s many talents and passions included cooking, hosting guests, playing bridge, solving New York Times puzzles, and needlework. Rarely was she without a needlepoint project—whether creating beautiful valances for her home in Alapocas or crafting thoughtful needlepoint gifts for family and friends. A gracious hostess, she delighted in sharing her home and her culinary talents with others, welcoming everyone from her grandchildren to prayer groups and bridge groups with warmth and generosity.

Above all, Elaine was devoted to her faith and her family. She maintained close bonds with loved ones across time zones, keeping in touch not just with her children and grandchildren but also with her nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Elaine is survived by her brother, Francis Loughran; her children, Tom (Colleen), David (Amy) and Ann Nagel (John); and her cherished grandchildren, Brendan, Andrew, Aidan, Declan, Patrick, Matthew, William, Quintan, Sarah and Emma. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Angela Boyle, Theresa Boyle (Charles) and Cynthia Loughran (Joseph).

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Tom; her sisters, Jane (Peltier), Mary Ann and Antoinette (Williamson); and her brothers, Edward, John, Louis, Joseph, Anthony and David.

“Let go and let God.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held with a viewing beginning at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 25, at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, 10 Old Church Road, Greenville, followed by Mass at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ursuline Academy, 1106 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, DE 19806, and Salesianum School, 1801 N. Broom St., Wilmington, DE 19802.

For online condolences, visit chandlerfuneralhome.com.