Elaine Freeman-Eckstein

Elaine Freeman-Eckstein, 90, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away peacefully in her sleep June 25, 2024 at

her residence at Ashford on Broad. Born Elaine Marylin Dank on April 6, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY, she was

the eldest child of Roy and Rose Dank.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Bill Eckstein; her son Stuart Bernstein (Robbin Kaplan Hessa) of

Olmsted Falls, OH; her daughter Amy Nolan (Mike), of Bexley, OH; grandchildren Jacob Bernstein (Amy

Mixter) and Hanna Bernstein of Westlake, OH; Sam Nolan (Izaya) of Columbus, OH; brother Alan Dank

(Lauren) of Melbourne, FL; nieces Cindy Rakowitz of Durham, NC and Terri Claire of Queens, NY; and

nephew Roy Dank of Brooklyn, NY . She was preceded in death by her beloved sister Judith Plaut.

Elaine held undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education from The Ohio State University and had a

long career as both a teacher and counselor in Columbus City Schools and the San Francisco Unified

School District. Though her career in education was gratifying to her, Elaine’s real passion was art, as she

was a gifted landscape painter in various mediums, inspired by her travels overseas as well as

domestically by RV. Elaine exhibited her art in private galleries, at Ohio State, and for friends, and taught

art at the Columbus College of Art and Design. She was a respected member of the Ohio Plein Air

Society. Not surprisingly, her works grace the walls of all her family, proudly displayed as the fine art that

they are.

Following are words from Elaine’s bio that accompanied her various art exhibitions, serving to show the

passion with which she painted:

“It was the purple iris I drew in kindergarten that piqued my early interest in art, and that image remains

my guiding star. Color, light and shape are the major elements of my art; painting landscapes is my

passion and exploring the depths of my visions is my purpose.”

“My work has been influenced by living in northern California for 12 years where I painted the hills and

valleys in fierce sunlight. Here in Ohio I love the lake areas, the marshes, wetlands and dunes, and

mystery of the forest. Much of my painting is done outdoors. Often, the atmosphere is misty and

muted, so I truly love sunny summer days. While my paintings are of real places, they lean toward an

abstract rendering.”

“I believe the artist exists in all of us and with practice and direction we can all create beautiful art.”

The immediate family will hold a private remembrance.