Elisabeth Sifton was born on 13 January 1939 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was married to Fritz Stern and Charles Proctor Sifton. She died on 13 December 2019 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
She graduated from Radcliffe College and studied on a Fulbright scholarship at the University of Paris, before working briefly for the State Department.