Marie Elaine Taafe

Canfield - Marie Elaine Taafe, our beautiful mother passed peacefully in her sleep on October 7th, 2024 at home. She was with her always devoted and loving children, Cathy and Bryan and her stuffed Disney characters, fur babies, Josie, Oreo, and Snickerdoodle. She loved saying the name “Snickerdoodle”, it always made her smile.

Our mom was born August 29th, 1944, the beautiful daughter of Patrick and Angeline Mele of Youngstown, Ohio. She was a member of St. Christines Church and a YSU graduate with a Masters degree in Nursing. Our mom loved being a nurse. She would tell us her stories about “back in the day” and how the nurses would run the floors at the hospital. (She would work at all the area hospitals in her lifetime.) Our mom was the nurse that would stay longer to care for a patient and give extra care and love to those who had no one to come see them. God Bless our nurses.

Our mom met the love of her life in a hospital. Our dad worked as an orderly while going to college. They fell in love instantly. Our dad would propose to our mom and they would marry that year. Our mom would tell us, “I was so happy on my wedding day, because I married my best friend.”

Our mama loved Florida, Cedar Point, animals, and Elvis (the pelvis), woohoo! Yes, she did. We grew up listening to Elvis and traveling to the “Sunshine State” of Florida so many times together. Our mom would sew curtains and make cushions for the family van and off we went to Florida.

Oh, such joy our mom experienced in her lifetime and gave us kids. We were blessed with amazing adventures in Florida, beautiful beaches, golden sunshine, Mickey Mouse, Disney World, seafood, Sanibel Island seashells, dolphin watching. Oh, such memories, we thank you mom. Xoxoxo…

Our mom would retire from nursing and care for one last patient… our Dad. The love of her life. She stayed by our Dad’s side until he passed peacefully our home. She was ever faithful, ever devoted, a forever loving wife.

Our mom gave us the best of who she was. She would instill in us the value of being kind, integrity, honesty, love, big hugs, Sunday dinners, always saying, “I love you”, saying sorry, big smiles, helping anyone in need. She taught us about God, faith, the power of prayer, being humble, and that love is always worth it. She always encouraged us to reach for the stars. She always told us, “Yes you can,” “You can do it,” and never ever discouraged us and gave us the great gift of believing in ourselves and that family is a strong bond and home was a place we would always be loved and belong. 

From her son Bryan:

It was so wonderful to be raised, taken care of and have you for my mom these past 55 years. It truly has been the greatest privilege, honor and experience of my entire life to take care of you as well, especially over the past five years. So many unknown challenges were placed on our path and we overcame them all, only because of your unconditional love and miraculous strength. I never thought I could experience such a profoundly deep emotional, intellectual and spiritual connection that we shared all our lives.

I could have lived a thousand lifetimes and still never have been so divinely blessed to have been given the absolute most unconditionally kind, caring and loving Mother that God chose to give me in this lifetime. I was (and still am) extremely amazed at your simple and supernatural ability to share love, kindness, decency, compassion, care, tenderness, understanding, strength, inspiration, knowledge and the infinite number of magnificent “gifts” you’ve showered upon all those around you, especially your family.

And so it really is true, that Life, is but a twinkling of an eye, but oh, how you and I stretched that twinkle into an eternity. 

Until we are together again, we are going to greatly miss our best friend, our protector, our confidant, our inspiration, and the most beautiful human being, woman and Mommy that God has ever created. We love you forever and ever, for always, for eternity, with our entire heart and soul… Everything that we are.

I cried a tear, you wiped it dry. I was confused, you cleared my mind. I sold my soul, you bought it back for me, And held me up, and gave me dignity. Somehow you needed me… You gave me strength to stand alone again. To face the world, out on my own again. You put me high, upon a pedestal. So high that I could almost see eternity. You needed me, you needed me… You held my hand, when it was cold. When I was lost, you took me home. You gave me hope, when I was at the end, And turned my lies, back in to truth again. You even called me friend. You gave me strength, to stand alone again. To face the world, out on my own again. You put me high, upon a pedestal. So high that I could almost see eternity. You needed me, you needed me… But the truth is Mommy, I needed you even more and you were, no matter what, always there.… 

The record shows you took the blows… We faced it all and you stood tall and did it our way.

The day they came to take our mom from home and the song “An American Trilogy” by Elvis came on. We made everyone stop and listen to the entire song before they took her. It was a sign from our mom, telling us kids, “Glory Glory Hallelujah, I am in Heaven.” We played Elvis music daily in our home and this song as so dear to our hearts, it was incredible it came on at that moment.

“An American Trilogy” by Elvis Presley

Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old things they are not forgotten, Look away, look away, look away Dixieland... Oh, I wish I was in Dixie, away, away, In Dixieland I take my stand to live and die in Dixie, 'Cause Dixieland, that's where I was born, Early Lord one frosty morning, Look away, look away, look away Dixieland...Glory, glory hallelujah, Glory, glory hallelujah, Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on... So hush little baby, Don't you cry, You know your daddy's bound to die, But all my trials, Lord, will soon be over... Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on... His truth is marching on.

Our amazing mother loved our father, fiercely protected and loved her children and believed in God. It was our great honor to care for you here in our home in your later years…. Those would be our “Golden Years”.  “We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.” … Until we meet again, we’ll find you in the sunshine Mommy...  Love always, Cathy and Bryan. 

Our mother was preceded in death by her loving husband, Kenneth James Taafe. 

The family held private services and laid her to rest on Friday October 11th, 2024. She is in Heaven now. Glory Glory Hallelujah.