Eleanor Gooding Hallowell passed away peacefully January 11, 2018.
Elly was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Frederic and Julia Papin Gooding. She grew up in Concord, Massachusetts and attended Concord Academy. Elly enjoyed spending summers with family at her grandparents home in Rye Beach, New Hampshire (except when her “Maw” caught her sneaking up the stairs late at night!).
As a teenager Elly spent 2 summers on a ranch in Arizona, forging memories and a love of horses she would savor throughout her life.
Elly attended Vassar College, graduating in three years during WW2. At the end of one school year, she bicycled home with several friends from Poughkeepsie to Concord. As an officer of her senior class, she took great pride in helping to secure Eleanor Roosevelt as the class speaker.
After the end of WW2, Elly married Morris L. Hallowell III in Rye Beach. Together they raised 4 sons. They lived in Boston, Hingham, Lenox, and Grafton Massachusetts, before settling in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, where they lived in the same house for 48 years. They recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
She had interesting ways of finding relief from the challenges of raising four boys. In the summers, Elly crewed for Morrie, riding the trapeze while racing their Cottontail sailboat, “Long Ears”. They raced Long Ears in Long Island Sound and raced in the Cottontail Nationals. One time a sudden 180 degree wind shift caused them to capsize to windward, leaving Elly trapped in the water under the mainsail, still attached to the trapeze. Fortunately Morrie came to the rescue. In the winter, Elly manned the crash boat every frigid Sunday afternoon for the “Frostbiting” sailing races at the Rocky Point Club, plucking sailors out of the icy water.
After her youngest son entered school, Elly went back to work as a librarian at Greenwich Country Day School, where she enjoyed working with the students and made lifelong friends among the staff.
Elly and Morrie enjoyed many fun years in retirement. They travelled to Europe, and sailed with friends and family in Long Island Sound, Maine, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Caribbean. They loved going on long weekends away to the Adirondacks, Vermont, and Maine with their wonderful gang of friends. They especially enjoyed bringing their growing family together every July to Small Point, Maine, an event which has continued for over 30 years.
Elly was a dedicated volunteer for many years in the cancer unit at Greenwich Hospital.
Survivors include her husband Morris, their sons and their wives Morris and Ann, Chris and Alice, Bill and Lauren, and John and Barbara; grandchildren Chris and wife Nicole; Stetson, Brandon, and Katy; great-grandson Graham and great-grandaughter Campbell, and many nephews and nieces. She was predeceased by her sister Marie Gooding Eaton and brother Frederic Gooding.
Morrie and the family are grateful for the loving care and friendship provided to Elly over the years by Millie D’Angelo, Kathy Mullins, and the staff of EdgeHill, DanielCare, and Thomas RealCare. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greenwich Hospital Foundation or the EdgeHill Employee Appreciation Fund.
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