Elena B. Riverstone

Elena B. Riverstone died on Saturday, January 21, 2023. She was born in Connecticut on September 21, 1945 and moved to Providence Rhode Island in 1979. Elena lived like the seasons she cherished, as a true force of nature. An artist, writer, collector, and mother, Elena brought her nurturing and creative spirit to everything she touched. That included her time as a social worker at New Roots shelter for runaway teens in the 1980s, as an administrative assistant at the Providence Children’s Museum, and as the owner of Riverstone Designs, the jewelry business that she turned into Beauty and the Beads, which was open for several years on Thayer Street in Providence, Rhode Island. At Beauty and the Beads she provided a space for creative community where everyone was welcome. Later in life, she combined her love of nature in all forms (especially rocks, leaves, mushrooms, and driftwood), art, and kids into a number of volunteer projects in the Providence area, including River Wood in Blackstone Park. She was a key part of the establishing the residents’ garden space at the Governor House, where she lived for several years. Elena saw the natural world in a rare, quiet, and studied way. Every leaf, every mushroom, was a thing of beauty to be studied, photographed, drawn, or incorporated into an art piece. She was a fierce advocate for those who needed help, and an enemy to all invasive species. She was a partner in crime for her granddaughter Charlie, had her son in law Tim, “the tall man,” convinced she was a fairy sprite, and was a constant source of wisdom, kindness, and strength for all of us. She is survived by her daughter Anna Boksenbaum, son-in-law Timothy Mahoney, granddaughter Charlie Mahoney, her brother Peter Furness, and many beloved friends.