GRAND ISLE and VAN BUREN – Della M. (Beaupre) Kaliris, 84, died peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family, Feb. 18, 2006, at a nursing care facility in Van Buren. She was born April 2, 1921, in Grand Isle, the daughter of Jean and Marie (Martin) Beaupre. At the age of 17, Della moved to Boston to find work. She met her husband, Christopher Kaliris and started a family. After 31 years in Boston, Della moved back to Grand Isle in 1969, five years after her husband’s death. Della, known as “Maude” to some close friends, was a sports fanatic. Listening to games on the radio or watching TV, Della was often heard rooting for her favorite Boston teams, the Red Sox, Celtics and the New England Patriots. She made many friends on bowling teams, loved to play cards, especially with her grandchildren, and was a life-long crossword puzzle devotee, saying that she learned to speak English by solving puzzles. Della was a woman of great courage and many talents, who worked hard her entire life. She was an excellent cook, enjoyed crafts and crocheting and with her can-do attitude, she wallpapered, painted and supported her two children by being one of the valley’s best waitresses. She had a great memory and remembered people by their favorite menu items, exactly as they liked it. Though Della endured a variety of health problems in the last 20 years, she did not complain. With a smile on her face, she was always happy and ready to share a kind word. Widowed at a young age, and having lost her son in a car accident in 1974, Della was a devoted mother and best friend to her only daughter, Rita and a doting grandmother to her five beloved grandchildren, who she cherished dearly. “Della, Maude, Madame Del or Memere Del – you were a great friend, the best mom and a fantastic grandmother. Thank you for your dedication and love. We will miss you forever!” She was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Christopher Kaliris in 1964; her son, Paul C. Kaliris in 1974; and by her brothers and sister, Gilbert, Addis, Omer (Bernie), Emilien, and Bertha B. Cyr. She is survived by her daughter, Rita K. Dionne and her husband, Daniel; five grandchildren, Christy and fiance, Ben Dubriske, Jill, Daniel, Thomas, and Ian Dionne; two sisters, Gertrude Beaulieu and Anne Chasse; and three brothers, Clarence, Roger and Guy Beaupre. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, at St. Gerard-Mt. Carmel Church, Grand Isle. Friends and relatives may call 7-9 p.m. Monday and 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, until time of services, at the Daigle Funeral Home, Madawaska. Interment will be in the parish cemetery in the spring.