Irene Elia, a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls, N.Y., who rose to become the city's first female major at the turn of the millennium, passed away last week at the Niagara Hospice House in Lockport. She was 95 years old.
Elia, who likened her hometown to the taste of chocolate — while Niagara Falls, Ont., was merely looking at chocolate — was elected mayor in 2000, following a career as a registered nurse in hospital administration. According to her obituary, she also owned Sage Management and ITC Corporation, which managed elderly housing complexes in Lewiston, Wilson and Middleport.
Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino called Elia a "wonderful person and passionate public servant" in a released statement.
"Mayor Elia lived a wonderful 95 years and her legacy will live on," he said. "We will remember her fondly."