Mary Elaine Pope

May 7, 2025

 

Celebration of Life Services for Mary Elaine (“Elaine”) Pope, 62, were held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2025 in Porto, Portugal, Elaine’s adopted home. Elaine passed away on Wednesday May 7, 2025 in Porto. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 18, 1962, Elaine was the daughter of Richard and Jean Pope.

 Growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, Elaine excelled in school and music, embracing her creative side and a love of loud colors. Her childhood friends remember her as funny and kind to a fault, making friends with everyone after flashing her trademark giant smile. Her teen years revolved around the Kilbourne Park Baptist Church youth group, time which led to a legion of lifelong friendships.

 Elaine graduated from James H. Hammond Academy in Columbia, SC  (now the Hammond School) in 1981 near the top of her class.  At Furman University, Elaine studied business and took a lead role in residence life on campus, graduating in 1985. Her experience in managing residence life at Furman led her to pursue graduate studies in student development at Appalachian State University, obtaining her M.S. in 1987, and ultimately to take a staff position in residence life at Framingham State University in Boston, Massachusetts.

 A ski vacation to Colorado awoke a vagabond spirit in Elaine that inspired her to move to the mountains of Colorado. Elaine worked in event management for a Beaver Creek venue, an exposure that evolved into a lifetime career in travel and event management. Her work and adventures took her to no less than 40 countries, picking up new friends across the world. It was on one of these trips that Elaine visited Porto and fell in love with a place and its people. On moving to Porto in 2021, Elaine found her true home and quickly sought to master the Portuguese language and the country’s customs.

 A lifelong learner and adventure seeker, Elaine first learned Spanish “on location” in the cloud forests of Ecuador and then shifted to Portuguese in Porto. With her dazzling smile and sunny disposition, Elaine easily made new friends as she traveled. A beautiful storyteller, Elaine often recounted her life's adventures through humor and with a deep-rooted gratitude for life. Elaine’s friends knew her as boisterous and adventure-loving, but more importantly, as fiercely loyal. However, Elaine’s real gift to this world was her ability to make connections between and among her friends. Perhaps the greatest compliment to Elaine is the number of best friends who can point to Elaine as the person who introduced them to one another.

 Elaine will be remembered as a loving sister and confidant to her brother Alan, a dear friend to her sister-in-law Mary Beth, and the “fun” Aunt to her niece and nephew.

 Surviving Elaine are her brother and sister-in-law, Alan Weldon Pope and Mary Elizabeth Pope of Charlotte, her nephew, Richard Alan Pope II of Boston, and her niece, Anna Elizabeth Pope of Charlotte.

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Comments

  • Lisa Cloyd-Wheeler

    Such a vibrant soft soul. Met Elaine in Vail CO. We were all living the hospitality ski ever dreams on young. . Later on the road as TDs. Last time now I know, was Las Vegas in 2018. On the show floor of all places. That vibrant smile is hard to miss. She will be -missed. So full of life.

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  • Christine Brown

    I need to say good-bye to my dear friend,Elaine.
    Elaine was an amazing woman. She's the proof that angels walk among us. I will cherish all the magic moments we had together most included me and my family.
    I sit here wondering how I'm going to live in a world without Elaine Pope in it. She was in my thoughts every day, and still is.
    Say Hi to my mom and dad for me.
    Thank you for the memories.!! I'll see you later.

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  • Trish Todd

    Elaine was a jewel! My heart goes out to family and friends alike who have lost a dear sister, sister in law, aunt and friend. She was one of two people that I thought to be equally gifted with skills and talents for both right and left brained individuals. She was gifted and lived a life of joy.
    One of favorite memories of Elaine is from a meeting she and I worked in Vegas in December 2014. The meeting ended the morning of her 52nd birthday. Late that afternoon we were able to walk down to the Link and see all the Christmas decorations. I took a video of street performers singing Joy to the World. Elaine particularly loved the performance and then we went to Bellagio and saw their amazing Christmas display. Elaine shared that it was one of her favorite birthdays. For the last 10 years I’ve sent her a text including the video of the street performers singing on her birthday. She always responds that it was a favorite memory for her.
    It’s hard to believe she has passed but I’m so thankful she lived life with such joy and completed her life in a place she dearly loved.
    Lots of love for this dear friend.

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  • Jean Pohorsky

    Elaine was the "best of the best". She was a co-worker, but more importantly, a true friend. I treasure the times travelling together and the time she spent at our house.

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