Elsa G. Petursson was born November 5, 1942 in Reykjavik Iceland. Elsa was one of 5 children born to Adalbjorg and Vilhjalmur. Post-WWII Iceland was difficult, to the point that she lived with an aunt on the east coast of Iceland for several years during her childhood. As a teenager, Elsa enrolled in culinary school in Copenhagen Denmark and this became the foundation of her incredible cooking skills that family, friends and colleagues came to enjoy. Back from Copenhagen, Elsa got married in 1960 to Leifur Petursson and in 1961, Leif and Elsa immigrated to New York City with her sights set on the American Dream. Her culinary skills were huge even when the budget was small. Her renowned cookbooks/culinary tricks are safe and secure for future generations of family.
Elsa moved to Arlington VA in 1972 and set roots in the community. She worked in banking and real estate for many years but was always present at scouts, sports and all things related to kid pageantry. Her family was always top priority and her schedule always revolved around the family’s schedule.
Her greatest gift was to connect with people and lift spirits. Any family or friend coming from overseas was immediately offered a bed, 3 square meals per day, a free loaner car, and conversation till the wee hours. Every guest was royalty, every meal was a banquet, and every stay was pampered. She became the unofficial Mayor of all things Icelandic in Virginia. Her posse of Icelandic sewing club ladies was legendary. This “Iceland Mafia” moved mountains and were responsible for the Icelandic Christmas parties, Bazaars, June 17th celebrations, Thorrablot’s and of course formal gatherings with the Icelandic Embassy and visiting Ambassadors. They embodied “adapt, improvise and overcome”, a testimony to their heritage where failure was not an option, and Elsa was in the middle of it all. Her Icelandic connections were widely admired. Whether you needed food from Iceland, a seat on a sold-out Icelandair flight, an Icelandic band, or needed to ship a car to Iceland, you called Elsa. Elsa held many positions including President of the Icelandic Association of Washington DC for many years and remained active for decades till her move to Florida.
Arriving in Sun City Center, Florida in 2010, Elsa and Leif quickly built another community of close friends. Some had followed them from Virginia and others were met at bingo, pinochle, scrabble, the Scandinavian club or working with the Security Patrol. Elsa and Leif’s retirement years were as busy as ever, filled with RV trips, vacations overseas, card games and regular visits with the loves of their lives, their grandchildren.
Elsa’s uplifting positive spirit and helping hand for those around her was remarkable. Any friend in need had Elsa at their beck and call. Her example of inclusiveness, to grab you by the hand and bring you into the group, is a model for us all. Her disdain for ignorance was only surpassed by her grit to overcome it, and she always did.
Elsa passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on February 4, 2026. She is preceded in death by her husband Leifur, brother Angantyr, and sister Unnur. She is survived by her brother Hafstein, her sister Gudrun, sister-in-law Mette Vinay, son Peter, daughter Christine, daughter in law Barbara, grandsons Robert (Gillian) and Erik (Grace), granddaughters Samantha and Rachel, great granddaughter Bristol, her extended family in Iceland and Europe, and her enormous circle of friends around the world.