Barbara Morse Elcik

WINDHAM - Barbara Morse Elcik, 84, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010, surrounded by her loved ones at home after a 10-year battle with breast cancer. She was born Nov. 10, 1926, the only child of Marion Taylor Douglas Morse and William Howard Morse. She attended school in Lisbon Falls, graduating in 1944 from Lisbon Falls High School as co-valedictorian. She attended Colby Junior College, New London, N.H., graduating in 1946. On July 5, 1947, she married her high school sweetheart, Andrew Walker Elcik Sr. Barbara spent several years as a legal secretary in Boston, Portland and Madawaska. She went back to college and earned a degree in education from the University of Southern Maine, graduating in 1974. She taught in Milan, N.H., for six years in grades three to six, and later in Casco, Naples and Sebago as a learning disabilities teacher, as well as a teacher of the gifted and talented enrichment classes. She retired from Sebago Elementary School in 1991. The family moved several times from Madawaska to Castleton, N.Y., to Millinocket to Berlin, N.H. They later moved to Ocean Park, where they lived for seven years before building a home on Sebago Lake in Raymond. She and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997 at a party given by her children and grandchild with approximately 50 friends and family in attendance. Barbara was a skier all of her life and a golfer in retirement. She was also an avid reader and enjoyed playing bridge. She and her husband both enjoyed dancing. Barbara made friends easily and kept in touch with all of them throughout her life. Barbara's legacy was one of love. She had a remarkable capacity to make everyone feel loved and never judged. She found the positive in every person or situation that she encountered. She had the sweetest smile and was always ready with a hug and kiss. She was an active member of St. Ann's Episcopal Church, Windham, to which she was devoted, and considered her many friends there to be part of her family, especially after her husband's death. Barbara was predeceased by her husband, Andrew, May 16, 2000. She is survived by her son, Andrew Elcik Jr. and his wife, Deborah, of Berlin, N.H.; her daughter, Sue and her partner, Lorrie Mitchell, of Plymouth; her granddaughter, Meagan and her husband, Ralph Desjardins, of Biddeford; her great-stepgrandchildren, Becky, Ashley, Jaime, Ryanne and Nicholas Desjardins; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Eugene and Lorraine Elcik of Lisbon Falls. Visiting hours will be held 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Dolby Funeral Chapel, 434 River Road, Windham. A funeral service will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Ann's Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road, Windham. Burial will be in the spring. In lieu of flowers, friends and family may wish to make a contribution in Barbara's memory to St. Ann's Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 911, Windham, ME 04062. For online condolences, please visit our Web site at www.dolbyfuneralchapels.com.