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May 9, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church, 147 Montgomery Street, Paterson, on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, from 9:30 – 11 AM. Visitation will take place in the church and a Funeral Mass will be offered, beginning at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Elenor Adams was born into eternal life on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 with family at her side after a two-and-a-half year courageous battle with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome).
Elenor was born in 1921 in Paterson, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, William and Rose Adams and the younger sister of Joseph Adams. Elenor was just a young girl during the time of the Soviet Union occupation taking place in her parent’s former homeland. As a result, citizens of Lithuania were fleeing the country in droves, and many of them sought refuge in the United States. Ellie’s parents took many of those displaced souls into their home in Paterson, offering them food and shelter and guidance until they could get their feet on the ground. A trail blazer already at that young age of twelve, Ellie, being bi-lingual and speaking Lithuanian and English fluently, assisted many of those refugees with the maze of paperwork required to help them get housing and become U.S. citizens.
Following graduation from high school in Paterson, Ellie went on to study fashion design in New York City. She was an outstanding seamstress with a fantastic eye for beauty and fashionable clothing. After graduating, she was quickly offered a position in one of New York’s premier design houses. However, back then a single woman in Manhattan was frowned upon by her parents. So she ended up going in a completely different direction landing a position with Curtiss Wright Corporation as the only female draftsperson among 300 draftsmen. Her job, which began in 1942, was to design aircraft engines, mostly, at that time, for use during World War II. She was so successful that she was promoted to the position of supervisor with those 300 draftsmen reporting to her! Again she was blazing the trails this time for women in the workforce. She enjoyed a long and rewarding career with Curtiss Wright that spanned more than thirty years.
Ellie was fun and beautiful and enjoyed the attention of many suitors; however, she never married. Ellie was often questioned as to why she chose not to marry and her response was “I never needed a husband.” The story is told of a trip which she took from New York to Florida with one of her friends. Her brother Joseph was serving in the U.S. Navy stationed in Florida and was going to be deployed overseas. Ellie wanted to see him off, so she and that friend took a train to be there for him. Ironically, the train they travelled on was loaded with U.S. soldiers, many of whom would have been happy to be called Ellie’s man. The attention was great and Ellie and her friend had a ball, a story she reiterated many times!
Besides being a gifted fashion designer who, although not making a career of it, designed many of her own dresses, especially ones for special occasions, Ellie was also a talented painter, potter and cross-stitch artist. She created many dress designs, painted beautifully detailed pictures, made wonderful cross-stitch art and began pottery in her later years. Ellie also liked to gamble, and so when she visited her brother Joseph and his wife Julia at their home in Avalon, the three of them would frequently go to the Trump casinos. Joseph’s wife would be the taxi driver and Ellie and Joseph would gamble. Ellie especially enjoyed the slots and one time she even won $10,000! And Ellie made wonderful Manhattans that neighbors and friends in both Paterson and Wilmington, DE can attest to.
Ellie’s life primarily centered around love of family and faith in God. She continued to reside in the home she grew up in Paterson for all but the last two and a half years of her life and she enjoyed the love of many long-time friends, many of which she grew up with and knew through her life-long commitment to St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church, also in Paterson. As a young girl Ellie and her brother Joe and her parents often got together with her uncle and aunt and their six children. There were many “kissing cousins” parties and family oriented activities that were enjoyed by all. That devotion to family was apparent in the way that Ellie cared for her mom as she grew ill and eventually passed from this life in 1962 at the age of 68, and for that same devoted love and care she bestowed upon her father before his passing in 1981 at age 87. She was adored by her three nieces and nephew and they recall how “Tati” so generously lavished so much of her time and energy on them taking them to Dietch’s Farm for horse and pony rides, and to Carvel for ice cream on a stick covered with colored sprinkles known as Lollapaloozas! She took great delight in getting in her car and driving to Wilmington, Delaware to visit with her brother Joe, his wife Julia and the kids or meet them down the shore at Point Pleasant Beach or LBI. She saw birthdays and graduations as great opportunities to splurge and get her nieces and nephew wonderful gifts, never missing even one of their special days! When the great-nieces and great-great nieces and nephews began to arrive, Ellie just extended the same love and generosity!
While Ellie truly was a gifted and extremely sharp, independent and capable woman, she will be mostly remembered and forever adored for qualities which often aren’t appreciated but are usually more important. Ellie never spoke poorly of anyone. Her strong faith and love for God gave her an ability to have total acceptance of all people. She was a positive thinker who never complained, Ellie was an inspiration to many and respected by all.
Elenor will be lovingly missed by her adored brother Joseph John of Culpeper, VA; her nephew John J. Adams of Wilmington, DE, her three nieces: Janet Kovach and husband Lou of Venice, FL, Jill A. Devine of Culpeper, VA and June M. Brick and husband Jonathan of Culpeper, VA; six great-nieces, nine great-great nieces and nephews and one great-great-great nephew. She was predeceased and now is happily reunited with her parents Rose (1962) and William (1980), her sister-in-law Julia Adams (2007), her niece-in-law Christine Adams (2008), and her nephew-in-law Donald W. Devine (2012).
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Elenor’s name are asked to consider the Priests of the Sacred Heart, Sacred Heart Monastery, P. O. Box 800, Halls Corners, WI 03130.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church, 147 Montgomery Street, Paterson, on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, from 9:30 – 11 AM. Visitation will take place in the church and a Funeral Mass will be offered, beginning at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
May 9, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church, 147 Montgomery Street, Paterson, on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, from 9:30 – 11 AM. Visitation will take place in the church and a Funeral Mass will be offered, beginning at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Elenor Adams was born into eternal life on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 with family at her side after a two-and-a-half year courageous battle with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome).
Elenor was born in 1921 in Paterson, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, William and Rose Adams and the younger sister of Joseph Adams. Elenor was just a young girl during the time of the Soviet Union occupation taking place in her parent’s former homeland. As a result, citizens of Lithuania were fleeing the country in droves, and many of them sought refuge in the United States. Ellie’s parents took many of those displaced souls into their home in Paterson, offering them food and shelter and guidance until they could get their feet on the ground. A trail blazer already at that young age of twelve, Ellie, being bi-lingual and speaking Lithuanian and English fluently, assisted many of those refugees with the maze of paperwork required to help them get housing and become U.S. citizens.
Following graduation from high school in Paterson, Ellie went on to study fashion design in New York City. She was an outstanding seamstress with a fantastic eye for beauty and fashionable clothing. After graduating, she was quickly offered a position in one of New York’s premier design houses. However, back then a single woman in Manhattan was frowned upon by her parents. So she ended up going in a completely different direction landing a position with Curtiss Wright Corporation as the only female draftsperson among 300 draftsmen. Her job, which began in 1942, was to design aircraft engines, mostly, at that time, for use during World War II. She was so successful that she was promoted to the position of supervisor with those 300 draftsmen reporting to her! Again she was blazing the trails this time for women in the workforce. She enjoyed a long and rewarding career with Curtiss Wright that spanned more than thirty years.
Ellie was fun and beautiful and enjoyed the attention of many suitors; however, she never married. Ellie was often questioned as to why she chose not to marry and her response was “I never needed a husband.” The story is told of a trip which she took from New York to Florida with one of her friends. Her brother Joseph was serving in the U.S. Navy stationed in Florida and was going to be deployed overseas. Ellie wanted to see him off, so she and that friend took a train to be there for him. Ironically, the train they travelled on was loaded with U.S. soldiers, many of whom would have been happy to be called Ellie’s man. The attention was great and Ellie and her friend had a ball, a story she reiterated many times!
Besides being a gifted fashion designer who, although not making a career of it, designed many of her own dresses, especially ones for special occasions, Ellie was also a talented painter, potter and cross-stitch artist. She created many dress designs, painted beautifully detailed pictures, made wonderful cross-stitch art and began pottery in her later years. Ellie also liked to gamble, and so when she visited her brother Joseph and his wife Julia at their home in Avalon, the three of them would frequently go to the Trump casinos. Joseph’s wife would be the taxi driver and Ellie and Joseph would gamble. Ellie especially enjoyed the slots and one time she even won $10,000! And Ellie made wonderful Manhattans that neighbors and friends in both Paterson and Wilmington, DE can attest to.
Ellie’s life primarily centered around love of family and faith in God. She continued to reside in the home she grew up in Paterson for all but the last two and a half years of her life and she enjoyed the love of many long-time friends, many of which she grew up with and knew through her life-long commitment to St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church, also in Paterson. As a young girl Ellie and her brother Joe and her parents often got together with her uncle and aunt and their six children. There were many “kissing cousins” parties and family oriented activities that were enjoyed by all. That devotion to family was apparent in the way that Ellie cared for her mom as she grew ill and eventually passed from this life in 1962 at the age of 68, and for that same devoted love and care she bestowed upon her father before his passing in 1981 at age 87. She was adored by her three nieces and nephew and they recall how “Tati” so generously lavished so much of her time and energy on them taking them to Dietch’s Farm for horse and pony rides, and to Carvel for ice cream on a stick covered with colored sprinkles known as Lollapaloozas! She took great delight in getting in her car and driving to Wilmington, Delaware to visit with her brother Joe, his wife Julia and the kids or meet them down the shore at Point Pleasant Beach or LBI. She saw birthdays and graduations as great opportunities to splurge and get her nieces and nephew wonderful gifts, never missing even one of their special days! When the great-nieces and great-great nieces and nephews began to arrive, Ellie just extended the same love and generosity!
While Ellie truly was a gifted and extremely sharp, independent and capable woman, she will be mostly remembered and forever adored for qualities which often aren’t appreciated but are usually more important. Ellie never spoke poorly of anyone. Her strong faith and love for God gave her an ability to have total acceptance of all people. She was a positive thinker who never complained, Ellie was an inspiration to many and respected by all.
Elenor will be lovingly missed by her adored brother Joseph John of Culpeper, VA; her nephew John J. Adams of Wilmington, DE, her three nieces: Janet Kovach and husband Lou of Venice, FL, Jill A. Devine of Culpeper, VA and June M. Brick and husband Jonathan of Culpeper, VA; six great-nieces, nine great-great nieces and nephews and one great-great-great nephew. She was predeceased and now is happily reunited with her parents Rose (1962) and William (1980), her sister-in-law Julia Adams (2007), her niece-in-law Christine Adams (2008), and her nephew-in-law Donald W. Devine (2012).
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Elenor’s name are asked to consider the Priests of the Sacred Heart, Sacred Heart Monastery, P. O. Box 800, Halls Corners, WI 03130.
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