Obituary of Eliane Ida Cotsford

Mrs. Eliane Ida Cotsford, age 75, of Lexington, SC passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 28, 2021. 

Eliane was born on Dec. 2 ,1945 in Sainte-Croix in the Jura mountains of Switzerland. She was the daughter of Alexandre and Jeannette Jaccard. She was preceded in death by her brother, Michel Jaccard. 

In her early years, Eliane enjoyed skiing, hiking and the joys of life in a Swiss mountain village. As a youth, she found an interest in piano and went on to earn a certificate of study from the Music Conservatory of Lausanne. She also went on to complete her training as a nurse in Lausanne. Later, while attending Elim Bible College in England, she met her future husband with whom she started a family. In 1978, the family moved from Switzerland to the U.S. where they established a home in South Carolina and formed life-long friendships. 

From nurse, home-maker, substitute teacher to administrative assistant, her commitment to her work was always evident to those around her. 

Eliane’s faith in Jesus Christ was always at the center of her life. She lived her life as an example of faith and was a faithful servant of her church throughout her life. Her heart for the persecuted church around the world was at the forefront of her prayer life.

The things that brought Eliane joy included taking pictures of flowers during her regular walks at the zoo, cheering for her grandchildren in their various activities, waking up early to watch her favorite tennis player compete, or just sitting at her piano playing pieces from Chopin, Bach, or Beethoven.

Mrs. Cotsford is survived by four children: Michael Cotsford and wife, Revel, of Massachusetts, Daniel Cotsford and wife, Joan, of Scotland, Christine Palmer and husband, Rick, of Columbia, SC, and Philip Cotsford and wife, Yoshie, of Japan, and her ten beloved grandchildren: Caroline, Mosaic, James, Peter, Zari, Taylor, Théo, Cassie, Nicola, and Eiliebelle. Several nieces and nephews also survive. 

In honor of their mother’s memory and her passion to pray for persecuted Christians around the world, her children are inviting you to subscribe to the free monthly publication of The Voice of the Martyrs magazine by clicking on this link. 

A memorial service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Trinity Church (East Campus). The address is 1501 Hallbrook Drive, Columbia, SC 29209. Visitation to follow immediately after the service. 

To access the live stream of the service via YouTube, please click here. 

To order flowers for the service of Eliane Cotsford, please call Forget-Me-Not Florist at (803) 788-1551 or 1 (888)-860-3827.