Eftemia “Effie” Kessaris Wallace died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, on Feb. 13, 2015 in Boothbay Harbor.

Effie Kessaris was born on June 15, 1926 in Beverly, Massachusetts, the seventh of 10 children of James and Mary Kessaris. As an infant, she and her family returned to their native Greece for 18 months before permanently returning to Beverly, Massachusetts. She graduated from Beverly High School and Mt. Ida College, where she studied to be a medical secretary. After graduation, she worked in the psychiatry department at Massachusetts General Hospital, and subsequently for several commercial enterprises.

During college she served as a companion to a prominent Boston woman who owned a vacation home in Boothbay, where they spent summers. It was there where she met her future husband, Bob Wallace, and they were married in 1949. They had two children, Robert Jr. and Laura, both born in the same year.

Effie and Bob made their home in Boothbay Harbor, and until the mid-1960s, spent winters in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area. She then worked as a secretary to the guidance counselor at Boothbay Region High School during her children's high school years. It was their suspicion that it was only a ruse to keep an eye on them.

In 1970, she and Bob bought the Harborage Inn in Boothbay Harbor, which they operated for 30 years.

An outgoing person, Effie loved interacting with the guests, many of whom returned year after year and became family friends. The offseasons allowed her to enjoy her other passion, which was traveling the world. Despite settling in Maine year-round, she never lost her love of warm weather. She and her husband visited most of the continents, and enjoyed several memorable cruises. She especially enjoyed visiting her daughter Laura and her family when they were living in Florida, England and Korea, from where they would embark to such places as Panama, Mexico, Greece, Australia and Egypt.

She enjoyed sewing, cooking, and most of all, she loved her family. She made the holidays a special family time.

She was predeceased by her parents, her brothers George, Paul and Kenneth Kessaris, and sisters Jane Callichi and Smaragdo Barry.

She is survived by her husband, Robert L. Wallace Sr. of Boothbay Harbor; one brother, Charles Kessaris; sisters, Dina Christo, Ethel Rowe and Catherine Sigurdson; her daughter, Laura Chapman and her husband Philip of Boothbay Harbor; her son, Robert Jr. and his wife Janice, of Milton, Massachusetts; and five grandchildren, Troy Chapman and his wife Emery, who now own the Harborage Inn, Kristie Chapman of Boothbay Harbor and Manchester, Massachusetts, Robert Wallace III of Boston, Massachusetts, Anne and Ellen Wallace of Milton, Massachusetts, and five great-grandchildren.

She was always a happy person, with a song at hand and a kind word for all.

Especially appreciated in her final days were the members of the Compassionate Companions group, the attentive staff at St. Andrews Gregory Wing and her loving granddaughter, Kristie, who stayed by her side.

She will be dearly missed by her family and those who knew her.

Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. at the American Legion Hall Post 36, located at 25 Industrial Park Drive, Boothbay.

Services are entrusted to Hall’s of Boothbay. To share condolences, please visit www.hallfuneralhomes.com.