NEWS AND VIEWS: Elaine Rook, the "rose lady" of Ukraine (02/20/00)

NEWS AND VIEWS

Elaine Rook, the "rose lady" of Ukraine

by Walter Wess

Dear Readers of The Ukrainian Weekly: Perhaps you have noticed that something is missing. One of The Weekly's advertisers "Landmark Opportunities Ltd." is no longer advertising. On December 31, 1999, Landmark's founder, owner and operator, Elaine Rook, passed away peacefully, gracefully, at her home outside Washington after a lengthy and spirited battle with cancer.

Besides being a devoted to her family, Elaine was also a vital link for many of us in America with our family, friends and fiancées in Ukraine. Through Elaine we could make emergency provisions for an ill family member, obtain a visa, make arrangements for a translator or a car or a short-term apartment in Ukraine. Elaine was imaginative, creative and accommodating in arranging the niceties of life between our two countries and our people.

However, perhaps the hallmark of Elaine's business were the roses that she delivered to our loved ones in Ukraine. Whether to commemorate a joyous occasion - the many weddings, Christenings and birthdays or to express sympathy at a funeral, we could always depend on Elaine to arrange for the delivery of a beautiful bouquet of flowers to convey our emotions.

All of Elaine's services were excellent, but most of all, they were provided by someone who really cared about her clients.

After approximately one year of using Elaine's services, I began to have a pretty good understanding of the economics in Ukraine and I understood that, at $45 to deliver roses a continent away, Elaine was not getting rich.

Her delivery of the flowers was a unique service and I once asked her how she could manage to "do the flowers" at such a low price. She told me: "Oh, I don't make any money at that. But sometimes it's so drab there that I just want people to be able to share some of life's niceties and cheerfulness."

Born and raised in Naugatuck, Conn., she began to work at the National Lutheran Council in Newport, R.I., shortly after she had completed her master's degree in education. There she met her husband, Clark, and in 1962 they began to travel the world together during his Navy career. When they came to Washington in 1977, she began to teach until she entered the travel business in 1989. She represented her agency in Moscow until 1991, when she decided to branch out on her own. She began to provide travel services to Ukraine that year, a country that impressed her during one of her first visits with its profusion of flowers.

She had a deep affection for Ukraine and had a deep desire to improve the lives of Ukrainians. She had the wisdom to know that one of the best ways to achieve this goal was to give to those whom she could the opportunity to earn a decent income for themselves and their families by providing a caring and quality service.

Early on as a client/friend of Elaine I learned that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Her prognosis was "not marvelous," as she would say. In the summer of 1997 I learned just how devoted her staff in Ukraine was to her and how much she and they meant to each other. As I was leaving for Ukraine, Elaine called. Her cancer was spreading, she was not well. She asked me to meet with her staff in Ukraine and thank them for their friendship and wonderful service. When I did so, neither they nor I were able to maintain our composure. It was the gloomiest day I ever spent in Ukraine. We went to one of the small churches in Kyiv and lit candles and prayed for Elaine. At the end of the day we went our separate ways, in very quiet and sad moods.

Upon returning from Ukraine I dialed Landmark's number with trepidation. To my joy, a cheery Elaine answered with the familiar "Landmark." She informed me that she had come around and was once again "captain of her own ship." She became a beacon of hope, strength and positive thinking to many of us. Over the next two and one half years as Elaine battled the cancer that was wracking her body, she never faltered in her positive outlook.

I last spoke with Elaine shortly before Christmas. She was cheerful and sounded as strong as ever, but I sensed that things were not right. I left for Ukraine and when I returned in late January I called, hoping to hear a friendly "Hello, Landmark." But that was not to be. Clark answered the phone and gave me the sad news that Elaine had died on New Year's Eve.

Elaine genuinely loved her work with Ukraine. I once asked her why she was attracted to Ukraine. "It just seems that the future there is so bright - they just need a little help to get through this bleak period. I think the flowers help with this", she answered.

For those of you who knew Elaine and are one of the lives she touched and enriched, I suggest that you make a contribution to the Ukrainian charity of your choice in her memory. This would make her smile. And if you want to send flowers to anyone in heaven, Elaine Rook can probably arrange to have them delivered.

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