Elias "Elie" Salim Hayek

Elias Salim “Elie” Hayek, 71, of Florence, peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, surrounded by those who loved him. 

Elie was born on April 8, 1955, in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of the late Salim and Jeannette Hayek. He came to the United States in 1976 as a young man, building a new life in a new country while learning English largely on his own. Already multilingual, Elie would eventually speak five languages, although English proved the hardest for him to master.

Elie served with the City of Florence Fire Department from 1982 to 1993, beginning his career as a firefighter and later becoming an engineer. Shortly thereafter, he and his brother Michel opened Subs Plus in Florence. For nearly 30 years, the brothers worked side by side, turning the restaurant into far more than a place to get a good meal. Subs Plus became a familiar gathering place in the community, and Elie and Michel became familiar faces to generations of customers. They closed Subs Plus in May 2023, ending a remarkable partnership in business but never in life. They were brothers, friends, and partners until the end.

If you knew Elie, you knew that when he said something, he meant it. He was strong, straightforward, loyal, and honest—a true man’s man with a tender heart for the people he loved. He believed in doing things the right way and treating people fairly. He was well respected throughout the Florence community, where he spent more than four decades serving people, first through the fire department and later from behind the counter at Subs Plus.

Elie loved golf, a game he discovered later in life. He became a good player and enjoyed many years on the golf course. He also looked forward to his weekly poker games with his buddies, where the friendships mattered every bit as much as the cards. Cooking was another great love of Elie’s life. After coming to America, his mother taught him to prepare the Lebanese dishes he had grown up loving. He carried those traditions into his own home, where cooking and entertaining became an important part of family life. Friends and family knew that a meal prepared by Elie was something to look forward to, and feeding the people he loved was one of the many ways he cared for them.

Elie married his beloved wife, Angie, on April 1, 2000. Together they built a life and raised a blended family that Elie loved deeply. A devoted father, stepfather, uncle, and Papa, Elie helped raise Angie’s sons, Keith and Jamie, from the time they were three and five years old. To Elie, being a stepfather never meant standing on the sidelines; he was part of their everyday lives and helped raise them as his own. He was especially proud to be Papa to his four grandchildren, which brought him great joy.

Elie was not a perfect man, but to Angie, he was perfect for her and everything she needed in a husband. He was her protector, her greatest supporter, and the person who believed in her without hesitation. Whatever dream she wanted to pursue, Elie believed she could achieve it and stood behind her completely. He supported her choices, encouraged her ambitions, and was always in her corner. His love was steady, protective, and unwavering.

Surviving are his wife, Angie Hayek; his sons, Chris (Kim) Hayek and Josh (Jasmine Love) Hayek; his stepsons, Keith Lane and Jamie (Jessica) Lane; and his grandchildren, Chandler Lane-Bruton, Kaycen Hayek, Kamden Hayek, and Haley Lane. Also surviving are his siblings, Nahia Naccour, widow of Nabil Naccour; Joseph (Blanche) Hayek; Jean (Sihame) Hayek; Youssra (Elie) Chamoun; and Antoine (Youmna) Hayek.

Elie leaves behind his beloved nieces and nephews in Lebanon: Abdo (Nouhad) Naccour, Elie Naccour, Michel Naccour, Nelly (Bader El Amir) Naccour, Rana (Alexi Jalkh) Hayek, Roland (Jeanine) Hayek, Elie (Rasha) Hayek, Lavy Hayek, Georges Hayek, Maya (Tony Saleh) Chamoun, Joseph (Clementine) Chamoun, Jeanette (Imad Khoury) Hayek, Sara (Georges Ojeil) Hayek, and Nour Hayek; along with their children and extended families. His great-niece Rebecca and great-nephew Randel Joe also survive him.

Elie also remained close throughout his life to Cheryl, his former wife and the mother of their son, Chris. Though their marriage ended many years ago, Elie and Cheryl remained friends and shared a lifelong commitment to their son. Cheryl and Angie also became dear friends, bringing their families together in a bond that endured throughout Elie’s life. Elie remained close to Cheryl’s extended family, including Chris’s brother, Alex Carraway; Cheryl’s sisters, Allyson Evans and Marty Davis-Druschel; and their children, Jonna Howle, Julie Davis, Pamela Basden, Jeffrey Davis, and Andrea Giza, who knew and loved him as “Uncle Elie.”

Elie also leaves Angie’s father and stepmother, Andrew and Molly Rewis, whom he adored; her sister, Kristin (Lee) Jones, and their sons, Wyatt, Reacher, and Whittaker; and her brother, Andy (Cindy Lou) Rewis, and their daughter, Candace.

Elie was preceded in death by his parents, Salim and Jeannette Hayek; his siblings, Lavy Hayek and Frida Hayek; and his beloved brother and longtime business partner, Michel Hayek.

Perhaps one of the greatest measures of Elie’s life is found in the people who will miss him: his family, his poker buddies, his golfing friends, former coworkers, generations of Subs Plus customers, and the many people throughout Florence who came to know him over the years. His was a life built on family, friendship, hard work, loyalty, and love—and his absence will be deeply felt.

A memorial service celebrating Elie’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Mount Hope Mausoleum Chapel, directed by Calcutt-Dowling Funeral Home. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the mausoleum.