Elene Yvonne Powder-Schoeps

Elene Yvonne Powder-Schoeps

Sunrise: December 7, 1937

Sunset: June 10, 2025

Born Elene Yvonne Barbara Brown to Carmina A. and Carlton Brown on 12/7/37 in Belmont, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

She graduated high school at age 16 and emigrated to the United States in 1957.

Her first marriage to Jeffrey J. Powder yielded 2 children, Jeffery B. Powder (deceased 11/2/23) and Gari W. Powder.

Elene joined a handful of pioneering women at the United Nations, in 1967 securing the prestigious position of Administrative Research Assistant on the staff of influential United States Ambassadors.

She attended Queens College of the City University of New York and obtained a Masters Degree in Political Science, while maintaining a 4.0 Grade Point Average.

At Queens College, she would meet the handsome outdoorsman's outdoorsman, Umberto Shoeps (a man who feared nothing and no one) – her second husband and the man she spent the last 55 years of her life with.

In the late 70's Elene and Umberto moved from Kew Garden Hills in Queens County to the fresh air "farm land" of Ulster County.  With Umberto, they founded the Ashokan Riding Academy in Olivebridge, New York.

As an Olive resident, Elene earned a real estate license and was named in Realtor of the Year in 1995 by the Ulster County Board of REALTORS®.  The talent that fueled that accomplishment led to her serving as President of both the Ulster County Board of REALTORS® and the Multiple Listing Service of Ulster County.  Elene also served as the Chairperson for the Ulster County Board of REALTORS® Fair Housing Committee and taught an orientation course on this Committee.

In Ulster, Elene taught belly dancing and, with her husband Umberto, fencing (the latter into her 80s).  She and Umberto were also horseback riding instructors at the Ashokan Riding Academy for over 35 years.  And both were "horse whisperers."

Elene and her loving husband Umberto loved their farm in Olivebridge, their horses and their many, many other animals.

Elene was a loving wife to her husband Umberto and a doting, loving mother to her sons Dondi (Jeffery) and Gari.

Elene leaves surviving her husband, Umberto, her son, Gari, her sisters Myrna, Gemme and Annabelle, her brothers Carl (Leighton) and Lennox – and their surviving off-spring, including Susan, Kevin, Jason, Robin, Rhonda, Carl, Janelle, Lisa, Adam and other cousins and great cousins. She left surviving her grandchildren, Cameron and Jessica.  She left surviving her daughter-in-law Angela and her grandchildren Yasmine, Jaffa, Muhannand, Nadine and Angela-Elene – along with their off-spring, her great- and great, great-grandchildren. She also left surviving a vast extended family, including Joy, Claude, Bill, Dianna, Ronnie and Stephen and many, many others.

Elene was quietly a mover and a shaker.  However, as all who were blessed to know her would attest, Elene took charge and took no prisoners.

In loving memory.