March 13. On this date in 2002, Elena Maria Marsella died of a heart attack in Kailua, Hawaii. She was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands with her husband, Roy Fernieand served as Secretary of the NSA of the Bahá'ís of Central America and the Antilles, on the NSA of Hawaii, and as a Counsellor for Northeast Asia.

 

March 13. On this date in 2002, Elena Maria Marsella died of a heart attack in Kailua, Hawaii. She was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands with her husband, Roy Fernieand served as Secretary of the NSA of the Bahá'ís of Central America and the Antilles, on the NSA of Hawaii, and as a Counsellor for Northeast Asia.

Elena Maria Marsella was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in August 1913. She became a concert pianist in Boston, and later joined the U.S. Foreign Service. Elena became a Bahá'í in 1939, and began travelling to teach the Faith in 1945, first visiting the Dominican Republic, and pioneering to Ciudad Trujillo with Ofelia Montalvo that year. In Trujillo she taught a study class, and all six members of the class declared as Bahá'ís in 1947. She also visited Santiago to teach the Faith that year. In 1951 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Central America, Mexico, and the Antilles. She was also appointed to the Central American Teaching Committee, moving to Panama City to serve on both bodies. In 1952 she was elected Secretary of the National Assembly.

In 1953 she married Roy Fernie, and together they pioneered to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1954, being named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. She was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Asia in 1954. Due to opposition to the Faith from local Catholics Roy was forced to leave the islands, however Elena was able to remain until 1956 when Francis Heller pioneered to the islands allowing her to join her husband in Hawaii. From 1958 to 1964 she traveled the Pacific extensively as an Auxiliary Board member. In 1964 Elena was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, and also to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Koolaupoka Oahu. Roy died later that year, on October 21, 1964, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 1969 Elena visited Alaska where she taught at the Juneau Summer School on Great Religions of the Past.

In 1973 Elena was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for Northeast Asia, which was responsible for Hawaii. In July 1973 she taught at a Tainan Bahá'í Teaching Institute. In 1974 she attended the Bahá'í International Youth Conference which was held in Hawaii, moderating a discussion on pioneering. In 1975 she gave a talk on Agnes Alexander at an International Women's Year Banquet held in Honolulu. She also attended the 1975 Hawaiian Bahá'í Convention in Honolulu. In December 1976 Elena attended a dinner commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Bahá'í Faith in Hawaii in Honolulu. She attended the 1979 Hawaiian Bahá'í Convention. She helped launch a Hawaii teaching campaign in June of 1980. Her service as Counsellor ended in 1980.

Elena Maria Marsella died in Kailua, Hawaii, after suffering a heart attack.