I heard through a Facebook post that Elaine has passed recently. Will post more information as it is received.
Elaine Chaffers, age 69 passed away unexpectedly on Sunday morning at home in Vero Beach, Fl.
She is survived by her sister, Patricia Gugliotta and her husband John of MA; her nieces, Michelle Mahoney (Christopher) and their son Emerson of NC ;Emily Joyce of CA and her nephew, Patrick Joyce, also of CA.
Elaine lived in Vero Beach, Fl for several years coming from Cape Cod, MA and previously, many years in Alexandria, VA.
In her lifetime, she held a number of jobs but her proudest accomplishment was her completion of her nursing degree from Marymount University and the nursing positions she held as an RN.
She will be remembered for her kind heart in helping those with less than herself. Her kindness extended beyond the human race to the animal world. She was passionate about ending animal abuse and cruelty. She rescued and cared for many animals over her lifetime, and she was a devoted “Mom” to her fur baby cats, who clearly brightened her world.
May she be welcomed into heaven and comforted by God’s boundless love as she is reunited with her mom and dad, relatives and many friends who have preceded her.
The family will be holding services privately.
If you wish to honor Elaine’s life and passion, please feel free to donate in her honor to H.A.L.O No Kill Rescue , 710 Jackson Street Sebastian, FL 32958 or online at https://www.halorescuefl.org. This is a no kill shelter with multiple locations in Fl and where her kitties are until they are adopted.
If a donation is out of your means, we ask you to commit a Random Act of Kindness on Elaine’s behalf. We hope you will take a moment to share a thought, memory or photo in the virtual guestbook. We thank you for your love and support as we collectively mourn.
Cynthia D. Addis (1977)
R.I.P. Elaine - Miss Elaineous ❤️ I am thinking about you and missing you today.
I just had to re-read the post on your Facebook page. Posted on 5/7/20 by your loving niece Emily Joyce.
🌻🌼🌸🌺🌷🌹 🌺🌹🌷🌸🌼🌻
Some words in loving memory of my Aunt Elaine Chaffers
Elaine Marie Chaffers June 9, 1950 - April 26, 2020
Elaine Chaffers, age 69, passed away unexpectedly last Sunday morning in her home in Vero Beach, Florida.
She was born to Lieutenant Colonel Clarence and Irene Provencher Chaffers in Washington DC and grew up alongside her older sister, Patricia Ann. Her father’s Air Force career brought the young family to Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Texas and Maine, all before Elaine was in the 3rd grade! The family settled in the Washington D.C. area where Elaine spent the majority of her life. Alexandria, VA was her family’s home for close to 50 years.
After graduating from Fort Hunt High School in 1969, she was briefly married and lived in Colorado before returning to Virginia. She worked many jobs over her lifetime - bartender, travel agent, property manager, real estate agent, fine dining server - before deciding to pursue a nursing degree. Learning disabilities did not prevent Elaine from achieving this dream. She worked inordinately hard and was thrilled to earn her degree from Marymount University. It was a great victory for her. Elaine spent the next several years working as a Registered Nurse (RN).
Even though she struggled, Elaine was proud of her many years in recovery in "the program". She helped hundreds of people battle their own demons with substance abuse. She often said she wanted to write a book detailing her colorful experiences and life lessons. Elaine was never shy about saying how she felt or the things she went through. She knew that she was on Earth "but for the Grace of God," and she did the best she could to honor that. When she would speak at her meetings she was compelling and inspiring, charismatic and entertaining. She was down to Earth,a tell-it-like-it-is gal. People loved and admired her. After sharing at meetings, people often wanted to talk to her afterwards, like she was a celebrity. She shined when she delivered her messages of hope and faith. She was a helpful sponsor to many, was easy to talk to and was very involved in this arena for many years. Her phone would ring at all hours because people knew she sincerely meant it when she told people, “If you need help, me call anytime! I will pick up whenever.” She had close friends and caring people in her life that were real Earth Angels to her, as they kept their eyes out to protect her health and well-being as much as they could. Our family appreciates everyone who loved and supported Elaine.
In 2008, Elaine moved to Cape Cod (Mashpee, MA) with her aging mother. She was committed to help care for Irene with the help of her sister Patricia nearby. Whether Elaine or Irene was the caretaker was at times in question, but it made life interesting! After Irene moved into assisted living, Elaine decided to move south to warmer weather and settled in Vero Beach, Florida, where she lived since early 2015. She and her mother were very close and Irene's passing in November 2015 weighed heavily on Elaine's heart.
MissElaineous (her nickname) had an irreverent sense of humor, lots of sass, a rebellious spirit and a huge personality. She loved to laugh and have fun. She was a thrill-seeker; she loved the sun. She loved music, movies and books. Elaine will be remembered for her generous nature. She was always trying to help those who had less than her. Sometimes her generosity attracted individuals that were unhealthy for her because of their own struggles and limitations. However, that would not deter Elaine. She would always reach out to help others if she thought they needed it. She truly had a heart of gold, always believed the best about people, and saw everyone's potential. She rescued and cared for many animals over her lifetime, and she was a devoted "Mom" to her fur baby cats, which brightened her world. Elaine’s passion was her desire to end animal abuse and cruelty.
Our family prays that Elaine passed peacefully into heaven, where she is reunited with her Mom and Dad as well as many friends and family who preceded her in death. She is survived by her sister Patricia Gugliotta and sister’s husband John of Cotuit, MA, her niece Michelle Joyce Mahoney, niece's husband Chris and grandnephew Emerson of NC, her niece, Emily Joyce of CA and her nephew, Patrick Joyce, also of CA.
We invite family and friends to share memories, pictures, stories, and any little bits of sparkle that Elaine brought to your life on her Facebook page. We will leave her page up and turn it into a memorial page.
Our family will be holding private services. An online site has also been set up where you can light a candle, sign our guestbook and offer condolences and remembrances.
https://www.strunkfuneralhome.com/obituary/elaine-chaffers
To honor Elaine’s life, the family requests memorial donations be made to Halo Rescue, a no-kill animal shelter located in Vero Beach. https://halorescuefl.org/donate/. Thank you.
❤️🌼💙🌹Rest in Peace Elaine Chaffers🌺🌸💜
🌻🌼🌸🌺🌷🌹 🌺🌹🌷🌸🌼🌻
DONATIONS
Click https://halorescuefl.org/donate. On the main page select “Make a Tribute or Memorial Donation”. Following the prompts, select “Yes” when asked to dedicate your donation, then enter “Elaine Chaffers”. On page 2 select the “Notify via Email” box and in the “Recipient email” window enter rememberingelainechaffers@gmail.com.