Elaine Lillian Fontana, 86, of Bloomfield Hills, passed away peacefully on May 31st, 2023 at her home in Arizona, surrounded by her loved ones and caregivers. She was born in June of 1936 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. She was the first of four daughters of Joseph and Lillian. Elaine lived a very full and vibrant life that touched the hearts of all who knew her.

Elaine grew up in Detroit alongside her sisters Carole, Christine and Debbie. She attended the University of Michigan and then pursued a career in teaching. Elaine then went to UCLA to obtain her Master's Degree in English. During her many years of service as a school teacher, she made a significant impact on the lives of many of her students and colleagues. Elaine married Jack and had two children, Domonique and Joseph. In 1968, Elaine and Jack parted ways, and she raised her children as a single mom for many years, working hard to make ends meet and provide for them.

During the early 1970s, Elaine met and later married Louis Fontana, a Detroit businessman who owned a packaging company. Elaine soon began working at the company alongside Louis and his three sons, Carl, Peter and Lou Jr., and ultimately became the President and CEO. A partnership was formed between Elaine and Louis' three sons; together they ran the business for many years. During that time, Elaine initiated another partnership with four other midwestern packaging companies and went on to become an original founder of a large corrugated paper manufacturer in Indiana, FiveStar Sheets. Elaine and her three step-sons also took a stake in a Detroit-based food company, S&F Foods. After Elaine retired around 2009, her son Joseph took over as CEO of the company.

Elaine was an ardent supporter of the Detroit Opera and the performing arts. Her devotion and generosity to the opera is well known, and many will miss her presence at the opera house. As a special part of her patronage at Detroit Opera, she sponsored Christine Goerke, an extremely talented Soprano.

In the late 2000s, she bought another residence in Green Valley, AZ where her close friends Fred and Jackie Brenner lived. Elaine would spend the winters in Arizona, and return to her home in Michigan during the summer months. In 2015, Elaine's daughter Domonique, who had retired, took residence right next door to Elaine in Green Valley, and still lives there to this day.

Beyond her earlier life, she was known for her strength, willful determination and unwavering love for her family. Always one to speak her mind, she was not afraid to express her views on life and offer advice to her friends and family. She had a passion for traveling the world and would often go on international tours, taking her family on many of these adventures alongside her. Her zest for life was infectious, and she always had a way of making a profound impact on anyone she met.

Elaine is survived by her sisters Christine (Axel) and Debbie (Joe), her children, Domonique (Vernon) and Joseph (Nada), her grandchildren Isabel, Jelena and Nicholas, and her two nieces, Kim (Art) and Chrissy. She was a devoted wife, mother, aunt and grandmother who always put her family first. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Elaine will be laid to rest with her parents at the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Southfield, MI. A celebration of life will be held sometime in October of this year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Detroit Opera | detroitopera.org