February 19, 2024

Eleanor B. Koutalidis

Eleanor Anna Bohn Koutalidis, 88, of Saco, Maine, passed away peacefully Sunday evening, February 18th at Exeter Hospital, following a brief but catastrophic illness.

She was born in the South Bronx, New York on April 23, 1935, a daughter of Ernst and Amelia (Lastig) Bohn. There she lived with her younger sister Lillian and older brother Al, (whom she later took care of for many years), and developed a lifelong group of friends that remained in touch. She graduated from Walton High School in the Bronx, class of 1952, and got married, soon giving birth to her precious Dona Lynn.

They moved with Dona to Kennebunk, Maine, where she worked as the secretary to the superintendent of schools. Following the dissolution of her marriage, she later met William Koutalidis and they fell in love and were married on October 18,1958, at Christ Church in Kennebunk. They moved to his hometown of Saco and began a new chapter in life. Soon they expanded their family and built their forever home on Glenhaven Circle.

During their six decades of marriage, Eleanor and William raised four children and participated in many artistic activities and social gatherings with their friends and relatives. Later on they purchased oceanfront property on Peaks Island and built a second home that became a favorite summer gathering place for family and friends.

Eleanor enjoyed the beauty of Maine and took advantage of everything it could offer, relishing and embracing the arrival of each season. From spring tulips and daffodils blooming at Laurel Hill; to summer lobster cookouts, ice cream cones, and endless days spent on the beach at Bayview, with William and her kids; and fall apple picking and long country drives, capturing the gorgeous fall foliage. She even enjoyed winter: the sparkling beauty after a fresh snowfall blanketed the trees and covered the earth in pure white. Eleanor would be outside taking many photos of each "winter wonderland".

Eleanor was a lover of nature and especially enjoyed gardening, spending significant time and energy looking after her flowers and nurturing her house plants. Flowers brought her such joy and delight, and she filled and surrounded her homes, inside and out, with the life and beauty they offered.

Eleanor had an artistic side and enjoyed photography and was quite good at it, winning photo contests and receiving numerous requests from friends and family to take pictures at special events. With camera in hand, we could always count on being the recipient of photos taken, documenting the big and little moments of life. She never met a sunrise or sunset she didn't like. She also took up painting with her husband William, and they decorated the walls of their house with still lives and nature scenes.

Eleanor possessed many talents, amongst the top being the most loving, doting, and giving mother, wife, and friend- but it didn't stop there. From seamstress to photographer to travel agent to accountant (doing her husband's corporate taxes every year)- there were no shortages of career opportunities at her disposal.

But perhaps Eleanor's greatest talent and dharma in life was her role as teacher. When Vanessa entered elementary school, she was hired by the Saco school system as a substitute teacher, often taking over a classroom for several months while the teacher was out on leave. She soon gained a reputation for excellence, and teachers specifically requested Eleanor, entrusting her to carry out their plans and not just babysit their classes.

Eleanor was a champion for those children whose potential was overlooked, as well as with those students that either struggled academically or could have otherwise fallen through the cracks of life. She taught all ages but particularly enjoyed the higher grades, since she felt that she could engage with them more.

At one point, she decided to go back to school and earned her associate's degree at the University of Southern Maine in 1980. She continued substitute teaching, but later, when her youngest daughter Vanessa went off to college, she decided to teach full-time at Scarborough High School in the special education department, as an ed tech. Over the next thirteen years, she channeled her dedication and love of teaching, along with her strong desire to make a difference, toward the children who needed her the most.

Teaching was in her blood, thus after retirement she continued being around kids for another ten years as a substitute, until she finally stepped down at age 75. There are numerous stories of those she left her mark on over the decades, as well as copious accounts from former students, to this very day, thanking her for the time, love, and the interest she took- encouraging and seeing something in them that others, or they themselves, may not have.

What else can one say about such an incredible woman? Truly these pages can not encapsulate all that Eleanor is, but I will add that she was a lover of movies, music and pop culture. As a young girl she saved clippings of movie stars in her scrapbook, and always had music playing in the house over the years, attending many concerts along the way. She loved going to the movies and watching the Oscars, and enjoyed watching all the talent shows, such as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. She loved her TIVO and was a devoted viewer of Days of Our Lives.

Eleanor was a social butterfly and her other endeavors in her later years included running the largest section, the white elephant tables, at the annual Trefethen Fair on Peaks, and being a member of the Red Hat Ladies.

Eleanor cared deeply for people and went out of her way to make them happy, whether it was remembering their birthday every year or staying in touch over the phone. To know her for a day, you had a friend for life. Her family fondly referred to her as 'The Historian'. She would encounter a total stranger and soon learn the details of their life, with genuine interest and caring. Even in her final days, she left a lasting impact on the doctors and nurses at the hospital, as she connected with them and faced her terminal condition with dignity and grace. The staff went out of their way to share how special our mom Eleanor was- spreading her love and making friends to the very end.

Eleanor was predeceased by her husband William on March 3, 2019, by one daughter Dona in 2015, and by two siblings Albert and Lillian.

She is survived by three children- Cassandra Ann Koutalidis, Christopher William Koutalidis (with wife Josephine) and Vanessa Leigh Koutalidis (with husband Frank Fiore). She was the grandmother to Rick, Chad, Caitlyn, Charlotte and William. She is also survived by cousins, nieces and nephews.

Visiting Hours will be from 12-2PM, with a Funeral Service at 2PM Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, 87 James Street, Saco.

To view Eleanor's memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com