Elayne H. Nevins was born to Anna & Henry Mitchell on November 26, 1944, in Sydenham Hospital in New York City’s Harlem community. She was raised in a Christian home with roots that were well planted and nurtured through the Mother A.M.E. Zion Church where she sang on the Junior Church Choir and served as a Proctor during Sunday morning Worship services.

Elayne was educated in the New York Public School system, having attended P.S. 46, Humboldt Junior High School 115 and George Washington High School. After graduating high school, she attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where she received training as a young artist in music as she was a master at playing the piano, which she learned to play at eight years of age. Upon graduating from Interlochen, Elayne returned to New York where she continued her education in music, attending and graduating from The Julliard School and the Hunter College.  Elayne was active in Camp Minisink of the City Mission Society where she attended summer camp and made the Tapawingo (Tap) Honor Society in 1960.

Elayne loved music, but was particularly fond of Jazz. She enjoyed a musical career where she traveled and sang with the Hall Johnson Choir, a professional group of singers and musicians. She played piano and sang at various locations throughout New York City, including performances at the LaGuardia Airport.  She explored opportunities at a few corporations, which included NBC TV, where she worked as a computer analyst. She settled in with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an independent agency of the U.S. government that regulates futures and option markets, where made an impact on many and will always be remembered for her extravagant holiday office parties prior to her retirement in 2011.

2 Corinthians 5:8 reads “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Elayne will be sorely missed. She leaves to mourn her absence the love of her life, William (Bill) Horton, her Sister, Yvonne Davis, her two grandnieces, Brittany Bryant and Shontele Sands, her best friend from third grade, Ingrid “Lady” Newton, her Goddaughter, Hope Lyzette Newton, and a circle of other relatives and close friends. 

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