Elfi Smith was born in 1938 in Flensburg, Germany to Carl and Dita Brodersen.  Despite early memories of hunger and hardship in the war-torn region, she grew up joyfully with two siblings, Sophus and Karin.  She graduated from Duborg-Skolen, a Danish-minority high school in

Flensburg, and worked as an au pair in England before becoming a travel agent at American Express in New York City. In 1965 she married John Nelson and moved to Colorado, raising her beloved daughters, Kari Filson and Lise Nelson, while also finding joy skiing and hiking the Rockies. Her lifelong passion for travel, languages and culture was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s words “To Travel is to Live.” She introduced many people to diverse global destinations over her five-decade career - including 25 years in her own Littleton-based travel agency. Elfi maintained close ties to her Danish family, and seemed to know every Dane in a five-state area. In 1991 she married the love of her life, Dwight Smith. They spent 33 years traveling, doing community service, and adoring each other and their families. Apart from her daughters and husband,Elfi leaves behind four grandsons, Oscar Filson, Felix Filson, Axel Schulz and Simon Nelson, and sons-in-law Andy Schulz and Duncan Filson (predeceased), and numerous step children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.  Elfi will be remembered as a positive, energetic, and determined woman who lit up any room she entered.  She will be sorely missed.  A celebration of life will be held in the coming weeks at Holy Trinity Church.