Elena Baione (1979-2014)

Elena Baione was born in South Wales in 1979. Half-Welsh and half-Italian, she spent the first five years of her life growing up in Italy. Brought up in a loving and creative family, it was clear early on that Elena had a talent for art. She was a bright student in primary and secondary school. She studied Art at Barry Sixth Form, creating detailed portraits and still life pieces - many of which were inspired by the romanticism and history of Italian culture.

Elena continued to pursue this talent, studying Art and Italian at Aberystwyth from 1997-2001. She also spent a semester abroad in Padova, Italy in her second year. However, it didn’t take long for her to develop a strong connection to the small seaside town of Aberystwyth. Her mother, Jill Roberts, had also studied at Aber in the late sixties. Years after graduating, upon visiting Aberystwyth for a day trip, Elena wrote in a diary “I miss Aberystwyth so much. Wish I was here all over again.” Elena’s time at Aber was spent dipping into Inkwell’s for art supplies, brewing multiple cups of tea and coffee, and laughing endlessly with friends. Those who knew her described her as an extremely quiet young woman, who was always second-guessing her artistic talents, unaware of how good she truly was.

Elena moved back to Barry in South Wales following her graduation. She met Ossie Fahiya not long after, and daughter Erin was born in 2002, followed by sons Joseph (b.2008) and Lucas (b.2011). Mothering seemed to come so naturally to Elena. She was compassionate, sensitive, and gentle - always there with arms open wide. She worked for a job centre for a little while, and
also helped out working at her children’s primary school. She loved The Beatles, something passed onto her children, who can recall singing them together on the morning drives to school. Elena continued to nurture her creativity, whether that was sketching in her own time or helping her kids with art projects.

She lost her mother Jill to Breast Cancer in 2009, and two years later Elena was diagnosed with the same disease. She continued to be an incredibly endearing, altruistic individual until her death in 2014. Elena was always there for those she loved, even when she was very very ill. She was an intricate, artistic, and delicate soul, but balanced that with an extremely strong and witty mentality. Her absence is profound, but the love she radiated can still be felt by her family.

Erin started at Aberystwyth in 2020, following in the footsteps of both her mother and grandmother.

Erin Fahiya (Daughter)