Elda Anna (Spaude) Lombardo, 93, died peacefully at St. Francis Hospital on Sunday, February 26, 2017 after a brief illness. She was the widow of Donato C. Lombardo, who died in 1963. Elda was born in Brownton, Minnesota on March 14, 1923 to the late Albert and Alma (Schuette) Spaude. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Elrick Spaude and his wife Muriel, and Marvin Spaude and his wife Grace and her son-in-law, Jerry Olson. Elda is survived by her daughters: Jacqueline Olson of California; Kathryn Plona and her partner Todd Harrington of Massachusetts, Susan Rahmlow and husband Richard of South Carolina, and Marci Lombardo of Connecticut. She also leaves six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, and several nieces and nephews. Moving to her husband's hometown of Hartford when he returned from service in WWII, Elda lived in her adopted city for more than 65 years, moving to Rocky Hill five years ago. Elda began work at Hartford Steam Boiler as a payroll clerk before joining the tax department. She was an avid football and ice hockey fan, coordinating the office football pools and attending Hartford Whalers games. She retired in 1990 after 22 years of service. A member of Christ Lutheran Church serving in the alter guild, Elda was a gifted floral designer, creating many beautiful arrangements for the church, often collecting blooms from the gardens of fellow parishioners or picking wild flowers from nearby fields. She later joined Bethany Lutheran Church where she was a member of the Dorcas Society. Elda was an accomplished cook and as a young bride added many homemade Italian specialties learned from her husband's family to her vast repertoire, creating many memorable family meals. Throughout her life, she bowled with various Hartford leagues and enjoyed gardening. She was especially proud of the rose garden she created in the front yard of her Hartford home. After her retirement, she also traveled and enthusiastically followed UConn women's basketball. Heartfelt thanks to the staff on 10-9,6-2 and Palliative Medicine at St. Francis Hospital and Masonicare Hospice for their compassionate and expert care. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 19 at 11AM at the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield. Burial will follow in Soldiers Field, Windsor. Visitation will be between 10-11AM at the funeral home, prior to the service. Memorial donations may be made to Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation, 282 Washington Street, Hartford, CT 06106 or to a charity of the donor's choice. To share a memory with the family, please visit www.dillonbaxter.com.