Tommy Olof Elder 1933-2026

Tommy Olof Elder, 93, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2026 after a life full of adventure and creativity. He lived in Ashfield and also in Northampton, Massachusetts in his later years, but Tommy was a world traveler. He was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1933 into a modest family; his father, Anders Olof, was so enamored of American culture that he and wife, Vera, named their only child Tommy, not realizing that it was a nickname in English. Tommy was one of the early members of the venerable Stockholm Boys’ Choir, a formative experience for him since it led to a lifetime of singing and performing. In Sweden, Tommy completed studies to become a professional photographer, learned to love nature through his years of boy-scouting, and skied cross-country in the Swedish winters. At the age of 24 he left Sweden, never to live there again.

Tommy spoke five languages: Swedish, English, French, Spanish, and German. He lived in Switzerland, Spain, France, and the US. Wherever he lived, he became deeply involved in his environment, renovating countless kitchens, building craft studios, milking goats, picking wild mushrooms, hewing trees for his construction projects, reconstructing stone roofs. In Ashfield he turned a geodesic dome into a 20-sided round house which he used for his photo studio.

As a young man, he owned a bar in Almuñécar, Spain, where his rich baritone voice and guitar playing provided nightly entertainment. In Geneva, Switzerland, he busked in restaurants to support his growing family. In southern France, he rebuilt an old farmhouse, including a studio for his wife’s weaving and his own intricate macramé designs. On the ski slopes of the Swiss Alps, he photographed tourists and the Aga Khan. Tommy traveled overland throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

As he became older, Tommy returned to his training as a professional photographer, working for glass artists (in particular Josh Simpson) and other crafts people. He specialized in problem-solving for difficult photo projects, creating his own way of highlighting the work to maximum advantage with light and shadow.

In both India and Switzerland, Tommy was a student of Krishnamurti; he continued reading Krishnamurti’s books until his last days.

Tommy was a lifelong performer and songwriter, identifying as part of the folk music tradition.  His repertoire included songs in Spanish, Swedish, French, Catalan, Langedoc, as well as English.

He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Andrea Leskes; four children: Tanya Elder in Paris; Sacha Elder in Auroville, S. India; Dakkan Abbe in Northampton, MA; Ambjörn Elder in Caen, France, and 8 grandchildren spread around the world (two in Northampton, two in France, two in India, one in New Zealand, and one often in Sweden).

One of Tommy’s great talents was meeting strangers, striking up conversations with anyone, no matter the cultural differences and language barriers, and regaling them with his adventures. To his children, he described his peripatetic life with Tom Paxton’s words:  “I can’t help but wonder where I’m bound/Where I’m bound./Can’t help but wonder where I’m bound.”