Obituary of Elaine LaCombe

ELAINE R. (JACKSON) LACOMBE, 64, passed away peacefully February 19, 2010 surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with cancer. Elaine was born in Belfast on September 13, 1945, the oldest child of Albert and Ruth (Clark) Jackson. Elaine could brighten your day just by walking through the door. With her warm, engaging smile and deep brown eyes full of interest and vitality, she personified friendship. In her family circle, Elaine played the special role of keeping the family connected. Get-togethers at the family camp on Lake St. George, as well as holiday celebrations, were made more special by Elaine’s infectious friendliness and obvious joy in those family gatherings. She made each family member and friend feel special and loved. “Home” held special meaning for Elaine. Whether that meant coming home to Maine or coming home from the hospital to enjoy her last Christmas with all her favorite traditions – decorating the tree, enjoying Auntie Jean’s bread pudding and watching her much-loved grandchildren open their Christmas gifts. From an early age, Elaine showed a passion for caring for animals of all kinds. Growing up on a dairy farm, she helped with all the chores involved in that endeavor. Elaine spent happy hours riding her horse, Stranger, as well as enjoying the company of more unusual pets brought home by her father, including Willie, a fawn who quickly grew into a very large deer. She had a special dog, Shannon, her protector during difficult times. Elaine had a very special relationship with her grandmother with whom she spent her summer vacations. She loved her late Uncle Berkley and her Aunt Jean, her only aunt, of whom she said, “She’d be my favorite aunt even if I had a hundred aunts.” As a grandmother herself, Elaine afforded herself of every opportunity to participate in both the every day and the special events in her grandchildren’s lives. Being “Nana” to Abby, Maddy, Jack, Ethan and Caeleigh brought special joy to her life. Elaine was respected and valued for her intelligence, her honesty and her strong work ethic in her professional endeavors, both in her career choices in Maine and in California. While living in California, she introduced her East Coast relatives to the Pacific Coast, sharing her home and special sight-seeing excursions. Elaine leaves a legacy of enduring friendships and memories which extend across the country. Elaine’s most vital roles, and the ones for which her loss will be most keenly felt, are the roles she filled as wife, mother, daughter, sister and grandmother. She raised each one of these roles to a level which made her both exceptional and irreplaceable. Elaine would want all those whom she loved to stay connected and close to one another. She wanted her loved ones to know that she felt very lucky to have such a wonderful family and friends. She will be greatly missed as wife, friend and soul mate by her devoted husband, Clay who was by her side as her advocate, her protector, her comforter and her voice when she was no longer able to speak. Gloria Bonin was a very special friend throughout her life. The family is very grateful to the staff at Eastern Maine Medical Center for their excellent care. She thought of many of the staff members as family. A special thank you to her latest employer, Robert Foster and employees at R.H. Foster. Elaine is survived by her husband, Clay LaCombe; her son Ricky Woods; her daughter Kimberly (Woods) Elkins and her husband Baxter; her step-sons Deryn LaCombe and his wife Lynda, Travis LaCombe and his wife Jenn; her parents Ruth and Albert Jackson; her grandchildren, Abigail, Madison and Jackson Elkins, Caeleigh and Ethan LaCombe; her brothers Wayne Jackson and companion Janice Lathrop, Glenn Jackson, Dean Jackson and wife Nancy and their families; her Aunt Jean Cunningham; and beloved dog Frannie and two of her most recently rescued kitties. Friends are invited to a memorial service at 11 a.m. on March 6th at Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Avenue, Belfast with Rev. Canon Mary Ann Taylor officiating. Those who wish may make donations in Elaine’s memory to Lafayette Cancer Center, 33 Whiting Hill Road, Brewer, ME 04412 or their local humane society. On-line condolences may be offered at www.ripostafh.com.