Elaine Carol McCarthy (nee Thomsen), 76, of Pikesville, Maryland, passed away on January 6,
2022 at her home. We take comfort in knowing that she is now reunited with her loved ones
that have passed before.
Elaine was born on August 23, 1945 to Henning and Anna Thomsen in Portland, Maine. She
leaves behind brothers, John and Erik Thomsen whom she loved dearly. Elaine always
remained fond of her home state of Maine and never stayed away for long. We send a thank
you to the Pine Tree State for giving us our Elaine from Maine.
In 1964, Elaine moved to Baltimore to begin her training as a nurse at Seton Psychiatric
Hospital. Soon after her arrival, she was blessed to meet the great love of her life, William
McCarthy. Elaine and William soon fell in love and were lucky enough to spend the next 56
years of their lives together.
After marrying, Elaine and Bill started a family and later purchased their longtime home on
Hawthorne Avenue. They went on to have four children, Colleen (Edward Russell), Kelly (Peter
Haag), Joan, and John (Robin Arnone). Elaine was beloved by her husband and children and
will be remembered as a loving and dedicated mother. She spent many seasons as the
unofficial softball and baseball mom for her children’s teams, always cheering from the
sidelines. Her family describe her as feisty, strong, and someone who always fought for what
she believed in. She was truly a force to be reckoned with.
Elaine is also survived by her eight grandchildren, Ryan, Meghan, Kayla, Erin, Kyle, Connor,
Brennan, and Maxwell and one great grandchild, Avery Elaine. Her grandchildren will always
think of her as a caring and thoughtful grandmother who loved nothing more than her family.
Elaine was devoted to her role as a mother, but was also dedicated to her career as a nurse.
After having her four children, she returned to school to finish her training as a nurse and began
her career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Towson, MD, in 1978 . She spent the majority of her career
as an oncology nurse and she was deeply passionate about her job. Her role of caretaker to
others demonstrates her compassion, patience, and empathy for others.
After retiring from nursing, Elaine spent many summer days on her boat, named the Irish Viking.
Elaine loved her Danish heritage and she will always be remembered by those who knew her as
a truly great Dane. She enjoyed her travels with her parents back to Denmark where her father
emigrated from and she was known to bake Danish puffs that were loved by all who tasted
them. Her baking prowess extended beyond her Danish puffs to her homemade cookies which
she baked for her children. Particularly, her family waited all year for her pinwheel cookies which
she baked for the Christmas season. Her husband recalls days after work where co-workers
would follow him home just to get a few of her homemade devil dogs. People coveted the recipe
for her apple cake, which she shared at many family functions. Additionally, Elaine loved her
animals, especially her Dachshunds Slinky, her Chihuahua Taffy, and her Jack Russell Terrier
Terry. We take comfort in knowing that they are now reunited.
Visitation will be held at Eline Funeral Home in Reisterstown, MD on Wednesday, January 12th
between 3:00-7:00 p.m. with a service at 6:30 p.m.