SALT LAKE CITY — A popular family vlogger who called Salt Lake City home has passed away following a crash in Mexico one week ago.
The family of 45-year-old Elise Smith Caffee announced her passing on social media early Thursday. Caffee ran the travel blog "3 Kids Travel" and shared on her site that "traveling became our way to connect and bond as a family."
Caffee's family expressed their heartbreak over her death.
"She held on so long and fought so hard through impossible circumstances. Everything that could have been done for her was done, and we are so grateful she made it home to say goodbye to her family before leaving us."
Caffee and her husband, Dan, were in Mexico for a wedding on March 6 when they were involved in a 10-car pileup in Cancun. Her family said a truck filled with hot asphalt hit Caffee's car, flipping it and trapping Elise underneath.
Elise suffered burns and was transferred to the University of Utah's burn unit center for further treatment, while the driver of the vehicle, who was only named as Luis, died at the scene of the crash.
Georgia Anderson can remember the first time she met Elise after she moved to Cottonwood Heights 20 years ago and the kindness she showed to her and everyone else.
“She was actually assigned in our church as my visiting teacher. She came over to visit me and what I noticed immediately about Elise was that she didn’t take this as an assignment, she took this as a true friendship,” Anderson recalled Thursday.
“I consider her to be one of my closest friends, but the beauty is so many people do," added Alecia Falk. "She is genuine, she is as genuine as they get. She shows up for people in their highs and their lows.”
Caffee wasn’t just known for her popular videos and social media but also her kind heart and giving nature.
Funeral details have yet to be finalized but the family expects to share them soon.
"Elise was only 45, but she packed more life into those years than most do in a lifetime," family members wrote on social media. "She was pure energy—intense workouts, epic travel with Dan Caffee, endless adventures with her three beautiful daughters, and a laugh that made you love her instantly. I will miss her laugh so much."
“The word that’s been going around amongst all of our friends and neighborhood is just holding people tighter, remembering to tell people how much you love and care about them because Elise did that on the regular," Anderson added. "She didn’t ever let time pass where that wasn’t being communicated.”
Anderson said Caffee wasn’t just known for her popular videos and social media, but also her kind heart and giving nature.
“She was the very same person walking down the street as you saw on the camera," she shared. "She was ready to lend you ideas, give you a helping hand she was ready to just check in on you. She was legitimately the most caring, intelligent, authentic person and created this huge net of love and respect in her community.”
The family asks for people who knew her to email their memories to messagesforelise@gmail.com. A GoFundMe page has also been created for the family of the driver of the vehicle Elisa and Dan were in. They say that money donated to the fund, which has already reached $60,000, will go to supporting Luis' family as he leaves behind a wife and three children.
