Elaina Fulgham's Obituary
Elaina Nan Fulgham died on January 31, 2026. Elaina was born on January 11, 1971, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Barbara (Kavelaras) Fulgham and Rodney Fulgham. She attended St. Mary’s Episcopal School for fourteen years and graduated in 1989. In her senior year, she played on the first varsity tennis team to win the state championship for St. Mary’s. One of her mother’s fondest memories is of her jumping up and down after her first tennis lesson at nine years old, and the rest was history. She played competitive junior tennis for thirteen years and won a full athletic scholarship to play for Temple University, where she impressed her team members with her exceptional touch, footwork, and net game. She made lifelong friends at Temple and, after graduation with a degree in political science, moved to New York City.
She loved New York and made it her home for almost thirty years. She worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years and was particularly proud of the work she did at Men’s Health Magazine as their sales production manager. She continued her education at The New School, earning her Master of Arts in Media Studies. She nurtured her creative streak and became immersed in photography, educating herself and exploring the city and wherever she traveled searching for inspiration for her best shot.
In 2015, she joined the Church of the Covenant on East 42nd Street and became a session member and an interim sexton. In her spare time, she was an on-air co-host for Niteshift on Pacifica Radio and volunteered for AmeriCorp, managing projects for students in temporary housing. She also volunteered at Radio City in Madison Square Garden, New York Cares, and the All Stars Project. It gave her great joy to contribute her extensive communication and media design skills to causes dear to her, particularly ones involving the arts and children.
She caught the acting bug, appearing as an extra in several television shows and movies, earning enough credits to get a SAG card.
In 2022, she moved back to Memphis to be with family and made it her home again, working as a professional photographer for Shutterfly and Tennis Memphis. She continued her volunteer endeavors at St. Jude, Red Cross, and the Arthritis Foundation. She returned to worship at Church of the Holy Communion and immediately became involved helping with services and events.
She continued to be a member of the Church of the Covenant in New York and attended services on Zoom.
Elaina is survived by her sister Alexia Fulgham Crump, brother-in-law Kevin Crump, and adored niece Catherine Elaina Crump. She also leaves her beloved Aunt Nan Blake, cousin Mark Blake, her Uncle Glenn Kavelaras, and cousin Christine Kavelaras. Her New York and Memphis friends, former classmates and church friends will all miss her immensely.
Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral service for Elaina on Tuesday, February 10th at 1:00 at the Church of the Holy Communion located at 4645 Walnut Grove Road in Memphis. Visitation is at 12:15 also at the Church of the Holy Communion. Following the funeral, there will be a graveside service held at Memorial Park Cemetery located at 5668 Poplar Avenue in Memphis.
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