On the night of October 23, 2018, Eleanor Loffredo passed peacefully in the family home located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Born Eleanor Catherine Leary on January 31, 1916 in Morristown, New Jersey, she was the second of 6 children to Catherine and Jeremiah Leary. She graduated with a degree in teaching from Seton College in New Jersey and went on to obtain several additional degrees in psychology, nursing, and medical technology. Eleanor met husband Vincent Loffredo in Chicago of 1945 where they later married. The couple relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, before settling in the California Central Valley to raise their daughter, Catherine. Eleanor experienced a successful career as a registered nurse and medical technologist, holding positions such as the Director of Nursing and a hospital inspector for the California Department of Health. While her accomplishments and accolades decorate a robust life, she was known primarily as a woman of devout faith, sharp wit, and unending love. She wore strength and joy equally well, with a powerful intuitive sense that matched her dedication to the care of others. She was funny, lived with an open mind and an open heart. She liked coffee, licorice, Sees Candy, red wine, and brandy. She loved to be a part of whatever was going on, especially if it meant being with her granddaughter, Sarah.  She read crime-drama novels and watched game shows. She would say not to make a fuss about her but enjoyed it, at least a little. A champagne woman determined to "suck the marrow out of life." (Thoreau)

She is incomparable. She is unforgettable. Here's looking at you, Eleanor.

"Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day…make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did." ( Jack, 1996)