FALMOUTH – Elijah Samuel Norbert passed away Friday, Sept 23, after a four-year battle with leukemia.

He was born on July 26, 1995, in Portland, the son of Stephen and Kim Norbert, and younger brother of his beloved sister, Abby, an eighth grader at Lyman Moore Middle School.

He will be greatly missed for his gentle grace, love of life, and sense of humor. Eli loved his family, sports, and his many dear friends and teachers at Lyseth Elementary School. He enjoyed many sports, games, drawing, reading, and building with Legos. Eli loved camping in July around his birthday each year, when the family had a chance to swim, hike, canoe, and laugh around the campfire. He enjoyed skating in the woods behind his home, and loved to play with friends and neighbors around the neighborhood. Eli was an inspiration to his family and was very kind to his many cousins, who were so good to him as well. He enjoyed playing with them and sharing laughs and games and just hanging out. He was especially close to his dear cousin, Matt Sprague of Kennebunk, who was his age. Together they were known as “double trouble.”

Eli never gave up in his fight with cancer, battling courageously to the very end. He was particularly proud to have been chosen to be 2003’s “Slugger’s Kid” as part of the Strike Out Cancer in Kids Program, jointly sponsored by MCCP and the Portland Sea Dogs. He and his family are grateful to the many doctors, nurses, social workers, and support staff who helped make him feel loved and special at the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. He was loved there for his great positive attitude and quick sense of humor. His courage and gentle grace also made him a welcome patient at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. The nurses joked that they would fight to get him as their patient when he was admitted for fevers and treatments. His family would like to thank all of the staff who worked with Eli over the years at Maine Medical Center’s Day Surgery Unit, the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

Eli is loved and will be greatly missed by his parents and sister, Abby; and grandparents, Stanley and Joanne Norbert of Falmouth, and Maurice and Anita Paradis of Lewiston; and his many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends in the community.

Elijah’s family wishes to thank the communities of Portland, Lewiston, and beyond for their love, prayers, support, and concern for his well-being during his brief life. Words cannot describe his life, but those he touched understand what a gift he was to our world. Although many may be heartbroken that a miracle did not occur, and that he left us far too soon, it is important to remember how blessed we were to have him at all. God graced us with this beautiful, wonderful prince of angels who was able to come to our world for 10 years to teach us honesty, respect, kindness and forgiveness, suffering and strength, and a heavenly unconditional love that few are able to give.