'Heaven Gained An Angel' In Ridgewood Clothing Store Owner, Dead At 74

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — If you knew Elena McKinnon, you knew of her warm and friendly greetings, those who knew her said of her. In fact, that was often the reason many people would come to her Ridgewood clothing store La Casita, which literally means "little house," — to experience the welcoming environment the store offered.

McKinnon, referred to by her friends as a "Ridgewood treasure," sadly passed away at age 74. She had opened the women's clothing store on 158 East Ridgewood Avenue more than 50 years ago and remained there until her untimely death Sunday, according to her obit.

"Heaven gained an angel, but the world sure lost one," her obit said.

After not seeing much opportunity for upward mobility at other companies, McKinnon opened her own store, where she put a "great deal of energy" into customer satisfaction, her obit said.

Born in Santiago, Chile, McKinnon worked for Olin Corporation and Ford Motor Company, before leaving to start her women's boutique, which also sold handcrafted items from local vendors, including, most recently, animated character hats from Ivy Silberstein.

"Thank you, Elena," Silberstein said in a social media post. "You were so lovely. I will never forget you."

McKinnon's obit added that her father died of a heart attack at age 50, and that her brother died in a car crash, and that she had often spoke about how some people are gone far too soon.

"History has repeated," the obit said.