Eleni SKALBANIA

SKALBANIA, Eleni
April 14, 1943 - September 28, 2013
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Eleni Skalbania.
Eleni was born on the Greek island of Santorini and came to Canada with her first husband Angelos Marinakis. She quickly embraced her new country and worked throughout these first challenging years, while raising her two daughters, Marousa and Elpie.
A few years later, Eleni met her second husband, Nelson Skalbania, who introduced her to the world of business. Her Greek heritage steered her to the hospitality industry, where she naturally excelled. She started with a small investment in the old Devonshire Hotel, which was followed by a partnership in the Hotel Georgia. In 1984, she launched her own boutique hotel, the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, to which she brought her unique flair, passion and attention to detail. She brought a touch of Europe to Vancouver.
Eleni not only broke through a male dominated industry, but achieved unprecedented success. In 1996, she flew to Toronto to receive the Independent Hotelier of the Year award. The Wedgewood Hotel became an instant success and her vigilant presence ensured that it was the beginning of a solid legacy that upon her passing, she has lovingly handed over to her children and grandchildren.
Eleni was a warm, loving, gracious person and a consummate hostess. She enjoyed tennis, skiing, cycling and especially golfing with her grandchildren in Palm Springs. She and Nelson traveled extensively, and many of her fondest memories were from trips with close friends and family. Eleni always faced the challenges in her life with remarkable courage and determination and was an inspiration to many. She was a loving wife, mother and an exceptionally devoted grandmother who valued her family above all else.
A dedicated philanthropist, Eleni has steadfastly supported the BC Cancer Foundation, both in their research for cures, as well as the acquisition of much needed, state of the art surgical equipment. Millions of dollars have been donated or raised for cancer research through her personal support and that of the Wedgewood Cycling Team. She also supported many other charities within our community and across Canada.
She passed away peacefully on September 28th, surrounded by her loving family. She will be deeply missed by her husband Nelson, her daughters Marousa and Elpie, son-in-law Joel, her adored grandchildren Josh, Eleni, Patrick and Elie, sisters Joanna and Litsa and their husbands, Nelson's daughters Rozanda and Taryn, and her numerous nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful doctors and nurses, as well as the BC Cancer Agency for their excellent care, support and kindness throughout Eleni's brave battle with cancer.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Eleni Skalbania Endowment For Lung Cancer Research at the BC Cancer Foundation http://donate.bccancerfoundation.com/ goto/EleniSkalbania.
A service will be held at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church, 4500 Arbutus Street at 1:00pm Thursday, October 10th. A Celebration of Life will take place in the same afternoon at the Hellenic Recreation Centre, adjacent to the church from 4:00-6:00 p.m.