Leslie Elias-Hendsbee

Madison,

Leslie Joan Elias Hendsbee passed away on June 16th, 2024, at her home, due to complications from chronic kidney disease. She was born on April 15th, 1950, (tax day and the day the Titanic sunk, as she would often add when asked when her birthday was), in Milton, Massachusetts, to Warren and June (Holmberg) Simpkins. Her family moved to the central Maine area when she was a child and this is where she continued to reside for the remainder of her life.

Leslie attended the University of Maine at Fort Kent after high school. It is there that she met her first husband and the father of her children, Thomas Elias. They proceeded to move to Madison where Tom built the house that his family lived in and that Leslie was still residing in at the time of her death. She graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1982, with honors, with a bachelor’s degree in education. She taught middle school in SAD #74 in Maine for many years. She was beloved by her students and fellow teachers and staff. After her retirement from teaching, she frequently returned to substitute teach, until her illness prevented her from doing so.

Anyone that knew Leslie was aware of the bond that she had with animals. She had many dogs over the years that were treated as if they were members of the family. No conversation with her daughters would be complete without questions regarding how the family pets were. Leslie loved watching old movies and television shows (usually in black and white) and had a deep interest in any programs related to JFK or the Holocaust. She watched the movie Schindler’s List, at least thirty times. She loved Jeopardy! and typically beat everyone that was watching it with her. She was a fastidious housekeeper and avid cook and baker. She loved going shopping with her daughters and friends. Every summer she looked forward to her beach trips to the Maine coast with her friend Lisa Leblanc.

Leslie was predeceased by her parents, her first husband Thomas Elias and brother-in-law, Wayne Richards. She is survived by her husband Bruce Hendsbee, sister Karen Richards, daughters Jennifer Elias Testerman (Steve), Paula Elias, her bonus daughter Kelly Whalen (Mike) and brother-in-laws Jim Elias and Tom Hendsbee and sister-in-laws Fran Peters (Dick), Barbara Nicholson (Bob) and Kathy Elias. Nothing brought Leslie greater joy in her life than spending time with and telling everyone how proud she was of her grandchildren, who affectionately called her “Nanny” – Erin Whalen, Sean Whalen, Natalie Testerman and Caroline Gould. She also leaves behind a multitude of friends and extended family. She had been best friends with Lisa LeBlanc and Maureen Mikal for close to 50 years. They were both there for her in good times and bad and were invaluable to her during her illness.

A graveside service will be held on July 28th, 2024, at 2pm at Forrest Hill Cemetery in Madison, Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations in Leslie’s memory can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 3810 (stjude.org) or to your local animal shelter.

Our mother was tougher than she ever realized. Her stubbornness and sarcasm most likely helped her survive her illness as long as she did. In the end, her body was too tired to withstand anymore. We will miss her every day for the rest of our lives, but find peace is knowing that she doesn’t have to fight to survive in this world any longer.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Giberson Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To leave a condolence for the family and to view the online obituary, please visit www.gibersonfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Leslie Elias-Hendsbee, please visit our floral store.