Marie "Eloise/Ellie" Heloise (Velarides) Kujawski

Webster – M. Heloise “Eloise/Ellie” (Velardides) Kujawski, 90, entered eternal rest on Friday October 1, 2021.

Marie Heloise Eugenie Velarides was born January 7^th, 1931 to Anastas and Theresa (Genreaux) Velarides in the middle of the Great Depression in a home in Dudley, MA.  The house she was born in is now part of Nichols College Campus.

Ellie and her brother George worked in their father’s two businesses, Vel’s Jewelers and a Hair Salon on the Main Street in Webster.  Ellie’s mother and aunt were educators, from their nurturing she aspired to college rather than work in the family businesses.  After graduation from Bartlett Class of 1948, Ellie joined what one of her best friends called the “Sisters of Worcester City Hospital” where she trained to be a nurse, ultimately becoming a Registered Nurse.  The “sisters” were Eloise, Genevieve, Madeline, Shirley, and Audrey.  Madeline was the maid of honor at Ellie’s wedding.

Eloise was an adventurer in her youth, she vacationed often with the “sisters”; they rode horses and went sight-seeing via small aircraft. In 1956, Eloise married her beloved Charlie, sometimes called Oscar, sometimes called his real name Casimir, sometimes called Ripper.  Eloise nurtured three boys from birth to productive citizenry.  It takes a special person to raise three boys; she did this lovingly and alone because Charlie and his brother Casey, who were inseparable, had a market and catering business to run, fires to put out with the volunteer fire department, a bus to drive for Kunkel’s School Buses, and U.S. Army drills to go to on the weekends.

Eloise could not have picked a finer profession to suit her big brain and caring personality, she loved being a nurse.  Ellie worked in the surgical ward at Hubbard Regional Hospital when it was Hubbard and not part of Harrington.  Over the course of her thirty-four year career, it is estimated that Ellie supervised or participated in excess of seventy-thousand surgeries.  That is an impactful and meaningful life.  That is an amazing legacy to be remembered for.

Later in life, Ellie was fortunate to be able to rekindle her adventurous spirit by taking many family vacations with her son Peter and his family; she climbed up the long steps of the real Disney Castle-Neushwanstein in Germany, celebrated the summer solstice in Vienna, Austria, visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and took the bullet train to London.  She was nicknamed the “Graminator” by her grandchildren Ashley and Chris while in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Eloise was indeed a member of the greatest generation living through and handling challenging times like the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, and others with humility, grace, and productivity.  She should be remembered, first and foremost, as a loving wife and mom; as a good friend to her “sisters” at City Hospital and Hubbard Regional Hospital, and great nurse who healed tens of thousands.

Ellie will be deeply mourned by her sons Peter Kujawski of Bedford, NH and George Kujawski of Webster, MA; her beloved grandchildren Ashley and Chris, nieces, nephews, relatives, and precious friends. She was predeceased by her husband Casimir Kujawski, their son James Kujawski, and her brother George.

Calling Hours will be held on Sunday October 10^th, 2021 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, 48 School Street Webster, MA. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday October 11^th, 2021 at 12:00 Noon in St. Joseph’s Basilica, 53 Whitcomb Street Webster, MA. Committal will follow in St. Joseph’s Garden of Peace.

In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/  in honor of Eloise.

A guest book is available at www.shaw-majercik.com where you may offer condolences, share fond memories, or light a candle in remembrance of Heloise.

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