![\"Elaine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MEF3OVB6MBB6LHNNNRLVVT45XQ.jpeg\")
Elaine Eugenio passed away this month. She was 83.(Courtesy of Howie Fisk)<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Elaine Marsha Eugenio, who owned The Card Shop in West Brighton for decades and became a beloved figure in the Staten Island community, died peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 7, after a long illness. She was 83.<\/p>\n
Her partner of more than 20 years, Howard \u201cHowie\u201d Fisk, remembered first meeting her when he managed the Key Food across the street from her store.<\/p>\n
Elaine Eugenio passed away this month. She was 83.(Courtesy of Howie Fisk)<\/p>\n
\u201cI met Elaine when I was managing Key Food and she owned the card shop across the way,\u201d he said. \u201cWe started talking. We started taking walks. Eventually she told me she loved me\u2014and that\u2019s a strong word. But then we became partners. <\/p>\n
\u201cI treated her like gold. People used to say that, and it\u2019s because I loved her. Now I\u2019m going to miss her terribly. She had a rough life\u2026 she lost her husband and she lost her children. She will be missed by many.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Elaine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/6BV6C4E3YNHR7E53H4ZDB4JI2M.jpeg\")
Elaine’s partner of 20 years Howie Fisk first met her while managing the Key Food opposite her store.
\n(Courtesy of Howie Fisk)<\/p>\n
Shamin Frammosa, formerly of S&T Bagels next door to The Card Shop, also shared her memories.<\/p>\n
\u201cElaine was an amazing woman\u2014very thoughtful, always concerned about others, and always willing to help,\u201d Frammosa said. \u201cShe really was an amazing and strong woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
For generations, Eugenio\u2019s stationery and toy store served as a true neighborhood gathering place. She sold the business in 2001, stayed on as manager until a few years ago, and the shop continued under new ownership until last year. The space that once housed both the bagel shop and the 40\u2011plus\u2011year\u2011old Card Shop became a cannabis dispensary last year<\/a>, but Elaine\u2019s legacy as the heart of the West Brighton commercial district endures. She was known for her kindness, humor, and the steadfast dedication she showed to her customers.<\/p>\n Born July 18, 1942, on Manhattan\u2019s Lower East Side, Elaine was the daughter of Nathan and Libby Lifschitz. After graduating from Seward Park High School, she married Staten Island native Rocco Eugenio. She worked as a bank teller while raising their children, Rhonda and Matthew, both of whom predeceased her, along with her husband.<\/p>\n The loss of her daughter Rhonda Ann Eugenio, who died at age 39, remained one of the most profound chapters of her life. A lifelong Staten Islander from West Brighton, Rhonda had lived in the former Willowbrook State School, and later in Cerebral Palsy Association group homes in Oakwood and Graniteville.<\/p>\n At the time of Rhonda\u2019s passing in 2004, Elaine shared with the Staten Island Advance:<\/p>\n \u201cHer late grandparents, Antonio and Antoinette Eugenio, and Nathan and Libby Lifschitz, as well as her late uncle, Anthony Eugenio, spent lots of time with her and used to take her for walks. Her father, Rocco Eugenio, also loved her very much. He died in 2003 and now she can be with him again. Her bright smile and happy face will be missed forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Elaine is survived by her partner, Howard Fisk; her sisters, Irene Goldstoff of Morristown, New Jersey, and Helen Penzel of Port St. Lucie, Florida; and several nieces, nephews and a grand-nephew. She will also be remembered for her generosity, her sharp sense of humor and her legendary stuffed shells, a staple at family gatherings.<\/p>\n![\"Elaine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3JYINQENDNF5RPWDFMB6HLME2A.jpg\")
Back in the day, the late Elaine Eugenio owner of The Card and Gift Shop sells a Lotto Ticket to North Shore resident Jerry Agro.(Advance\/SILive.com | Michael McWeeney)<\/p>\n![\"Elaine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SR5SMIZAGJDRVD4QLA7FHJVUEM.jpeg\")
Elaine Eugenio is shown here outside of her card store in West Brighton, once located next to the former S&T Bagels.(Courtesy of Howie Fisk)<\/p>\n