McCartney, Elina Paccasassi

Elina A. McCartney, age 88 of Blacksburg, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 12, 2021, at her home surrounded by her beloved family. Elina was born in Italy on July 27, 1933 to the late Giuseppe Paccasassi and Chiara Paccasassi. She was preceded in death by her husband, William B. McCartney, her brothers Minervino, Ennio, Luigi, Gino, and Antonio as well as her sisters Eligia and Gina.

Elina was born in Pietralta, a small village in the Abruzzi region of Italy. She learned her cooking skills from a very young age in the rustic kitchen of her family’s stone house high in the mountains. Elina began her artistic passion learning intricate embroidery from the nuns in the village. She and her husband Bill, whom she met in Naples, embraced the simple life, valuing family and being outdoors every day. A 20 mile bike ride or a trek around local trails looking for mushrooms was part of her everyday life.
Elina and her husband Bill moved to Blacksburg, Virginia when her son Bruno and his wife Christine had their third child. As grandparents living in the house, they were actively involved in the raising of their five grandsons, taking them to soccer games, imparting their love of the outdoors and passion for cooking. Elina’s talent for creating her unique art provided many pieces to cover the walls of her home and will be an enduring and treasured legacy.

Elina is survived by her sisters Maria, Angela, and Leonilda, as well as her sons Bruno and Walter, her daughter-in-law Christine, and her grandchildren Antonio, Angelo, Vittorio, Martino, and Marcello. A service will be held Monday, November 15, 2021 at 11:00 am at St. Mary’s Church in the town of Blacksburg, with Deacon Rick Furman officiating. Friends may call any time after 1:00 pm, and the family will receive friends after 1:00 pm at 415 Seminole Dr, Blacksburg, VA. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Micah’s Backpack, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Blacksburg.