Elvera Maalouf

Old Orchard Beach

Elvera Maalouf, 73, passed away Monday, May 18th, in Saco, Maine. She was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on December 26th, to Victorine and Elias Aoun.

Elvera grew up in Lebanon and, as the eldest daughter, spent her formative years caring for her younger siblings and learning to cook from her mother. As a young woman, she began working at a local factory as a seamstress, where she met her husband, John. They got married in 1974 and went on to have three children. In 1987, the family immigrated to the United States, where they managed Antoine's Tailor Shop and became beloved members of the community.

Elvera treated their customers like family. On any given day, they could walk into the tailor shop and be escorted to the back kitchen to be fed a home-cooked meal. To decline such an offer would be rude and offensive.

The same sentiment applied at home, too. Anyone who visited Elvera's kitchen knew the rule: show up hungry, and don't say no to second helpings—she wouldn't let you anyway.

And her generosity extended beyond food.

Elvera always prioritized other people over herself and gave to others in any way she could. She opened her home to anyone in need, without thinking twice about it.

She spent much of her adult life as an in-home caretaker for older adults and took great pride in her work. When Elvera made the sacrifice to move away from her parents in Lebanon to give her children better opportunities, it also meant that she couldn't be with her mother at the end of her life. She channeled her grief into her work and approached each person she cared for with a familial love, nurturing them as she would her own mother.

To know Elvera was to be loved, but those connected to her by blood knew a love vaster than the waves in the ocean and the stars in the sky. Her children and grandchildren were her greatest pride, and she would sacrifice anything for them, as long as she knew it would make them happy.

Whether it was caring for them as if they were 10 years old when they were grown adults with the flu or paying off a bus driver to send a cooler full of food two hours away, there was no length to which Elvera wouldn't go for her kids.

Her family was her life, and she was theirs. Words can never express how much she meant to them—to all of us—and how much she'll be missed.

Our hearts are broken, but remain full; she made sure of it.

Elvera is survived by her husband John, her children, Carmen, Christy, and George, and her grandchildren Victoria, Alexis, William, Harrison, and Maxine; her sisters Mary and Elham, and brother Said; as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, May 29th, from 11am–1pm at Cote's Funeral Home Chapel, Saco. A Funeral Service will take place there at 1pm, followed by a burial at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Alzheimer's Association in Elvera's name.

To view Elvera's obituary or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com.