In Memory of
Richard V. Elliott
Born: September 27, 1934 -
Died: February 9, 2014
Life Legacy
Richard
V. Elliott of Morrisville died on February 9, 2014. Born
September 27, 1934 at Yonkers, NY, he was the second son
of Eileen Louise Higgins Elliott and George F. Elliott.
He was predeceased by his parents and brother, George,
Jr., and is survived by his wife Linda, daughter June
Louise Elliott, sister Maureen and her husband Perry
Russo of Dade City, Florida, nephews Gregory Russo and
Eric Russo of New Fairfield, and Manchester, CT,
respectively, and Mark M. Elliott of White Plains, NY,
and many great nieces and nephews.
Richard graduated from Gorton High School in Yonkers,
earned a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine
Academy, and a master’s degree from the New School
University. Following active duty in the U.S. Navy based
at Little Creek, Virginia, he joined the American
Merchant Marine Institute and later The Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey as editor of Via Port of New
York, its trade promotion magazine.
In 1970, his first book, Last of the Steamboats, The
Saga of the Wilson Line, was published and became the
first steamboat history ever the best seller in any
state. Other maritime history pursuits included founding
the Westchester (NY) chapter of the Steamship Historical
Society of America. He served as “High Seas” editor of
its journal, Steamboat Bill, and as its first public
relations director and vice president of the
middle-Atlantic region. For his maritime pursuits and
civic efforts, he was listed in Who’s Who in the East,
Contemporary Authors, and Community Leaders and
Noteworthy Americans. Before he died, Richard completed
a two-volume manuscript of the history of New York
Harbor day passenger steamboats of the 19th and 20th
centuries.
Richard designed and developed the world’s largest
airport patron information system for the Port
Authority, organized its employee communication unit,
and earned first place for the best in-house employee
newspaper among hundreds of competing corporations’
publications, and organized a major reform of corporate
employee communication practices. While editor of the
annual report, the agency won Financial World’s silver
and bronze awards for excellence in national competition
among corporate submissions.
Among Richard’s civic pursuits was cofounding Citizens
United for Englewood, and serving on the Demarest, NJ
Board of Education from 1988 to 1991. After retiring in
1995, he and his family moved to Cary, NC, before
settling in Morrisville, where he organized its first
town-wide civic association, the Better Morrisville
Association. He was subsequently listed in Who’s Who in
the South and Southeast.
Due to inclement weather, a Mass of Christian burial has
been rescheduled to Thursday, February 20, 2014, 3:00pm
at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in
Cary. Family will greet mourners before the service from
2:00 to 2:45. Burial will follow at the Tappan Reformed
Church cemetery in Tappan, NY in the spring. In lieu of
flowers, contributions may be made to The Mariners’
Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606 or a
charity of your choice.
