Elaine Delores Waters

On Thursday, November 1, 2012, Almighty God very peacefully and in His infinite wisdom, mercy and grace, gently carried Elaine Delores Waters to her eternal rest.

Elaine was born on May 18, 1930, in New York City to David and Henrietta Cobb. She was their second child and grew up in a close knit and loving family relationship with her brother Rupert and two cousins, Gerald and Carmen Martin who lived in the apartment building next door. She was a happy and bright child who, upon graduation from high school, attended City College of New York where she did well academically while also playing on the women’s basketball team.

It was the emphasis on family relationships and God’s divine plan that led her to meet her soul mate. Her brother joined the United States Air Force in the late 1940s and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Not wanting him to be alone during his first Christmas away from home, her family sent her to visit him and he in turn asked his best friend and fellow serviceman to help entertain her during her visit. That man was Marion Melvin Waters, Jr. who would become her husband and life partner on June 17, 1951.

Elaine and Marion had a wonderful life together raising five sons in a home they purchased in Hempstead, NY in 1957. Faith in God clearly was a centerpiece of their lives as they always adhered to the two greatest commandments; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In their household there was always room for one (or two) more. In addition to raising their own sons, they provided “Holiday Foster Care” for many children from St. Christopher’s Home in Glen Cove, NY. This relationship led to providing long term foster care to two siblings, Darryl and Celeste, who lived with the family for over five years.

Elaine had a lifelong passion for education and the pursuit of knowledge that she imparted to her children not only in words but by example. She went back to college and earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Hofstra University in 1977 and she taught in the Hempstead Public School System for approximately five years. She went on to work in the social services field while continuing her own educational pursuits and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service on February 1, 1992. In September of 1999 Elaine retired from her supervisory position in the Department of Adult and Child Protective Services of Nassau County in Mineola, NY.

In September 1996 she lost her soul mate when Marion passed away. She is survived by her five sons; David (Mary), Michael (Lois), Paul (Pat), Timothy (Deborah), and Jonathan in addition to nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She also leaves to cherish her memory a host of loving nieces, relatives and friends.