GORHAM – Eleanor passed away peacefully on May 5, 2023 at her home, The Inn at Village Square in Gorham, at the age of 93.

She was born on Dec. 2, 1929 at her childhood home in Washington. Her parents were Ruth Emily Overlock Boynton and Goodwin Earl Boynton. She was the youngest of four children, and to her family’s delight, Eleanor loved to share the shenanigans of their childhood.
Eleanor attended elementary school in Washington where her mother had been a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated as valedictorian in 1947 from Union High School, and was also the editor and creator of her school’s yearbook. Always thinking of others, she organized a magazine drive so all members of her class could go on their senior trip to New York City, N.Y.

Following her high school graduation, Eleanor moved to Augusta where she worked in both retail and for the State of Maine. She met her husband, Walter, at Doc’s Lunch and delighted in telling us how they would dance there with jukebox music! Eleanor and Walt married in 1950 when she was employed at New England Telephone. This job was a favorite one and interestingly, was just before “dial” services came into existence. Crazily, as the times would have it, she had to sadly leave this job after three years because they noticed she was pregnant with her daughter, Deb! Eleanor was probably best known by residents of Augusta as working at
JCPenney for 23 years where she ran the women’s department.

Eleanor and Walter continued loving to dance as the years went by. They also enjoyed camping in Maine and Canada with their daughter. Hobbies included raising Boston Terriers, gardening, and enjoying time spent with family and friends. A favorite holiday was Christmas as it was Walter’s birthday, and Eleanor always made ice cream and invited the family to celebrate.

Her most favorite occasions, however, were when her granddaughter, Emily, visited for “time with Nana andGrandpa.” She cherished the role of being a grandparent above all else. Emily and Eleanor had an incredible bond that defied distance. She was extremely proud of her and managed to get into most new conversations that Emily had become an
optometrist.

Eleanor sold her home in 2005 and moved to Unity Gardens in Windham. She attended all the functions there, and was always asked by Southern Maine on Aging to gather up other residents to tag along. In 2018 she moved to The Inn at Village Square, an assisted living facility.

Though formally she was Eleanor (named after Eleanor Roosevelt), her friends at The Inn fondly called her “Ellie”. To Deb and Roger, she was “Mom”. To a very special few, she was “Nana G”. She and Walt joyfully went dancing the night that Emily was born. That joy tripled with the births of her three great-grandchildren.

Eleanor was predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Walter Ashe Garside; her brother, Rodney Boynton (Washington); and her sisters Norma Wheeler (Augusta) and Lois Smith (York).

As the last remaining member of her siblings, Eleanor was a loving connection to a previous generation. This was especially important to her nieces and nephews as she would share fond memories and experiences she had with Rodney, Norma, and Lois. As one cousin just wrote, “Auntie is our connection to another era that we so cherish – we love her dearly – one of our tribe – who understands from whence we come.” Eleanor especially loved sharing how her family would “gather around the radio” and listen intently to President Franklin Roosevelt. She spoke with pride how she volunteered as an aircraft observer with her mom during World War II.

Most importantly, perhaps, is how family and friends will remember her as a positive, friendly, curious, independent, and hardworking individual with a great sense of humor. She was an incredibly supportive mother her entire lifetime. Her bright smile will always be remembered; her spirit will live on through her inquisitive and spunky great-grandchildren.

Eleanor will be missed immensely by her daughter, Debra Ruth
Garside Ledoux, and her son-in-law, Roger Ledoux, (whom she
lovingly called her “son with no labor pains”); her granddaughter, Emily Ruth Clark O’Meara, and her husband, Liam O’Meara of Annapolis, Md.; her great-grandchildren, Finn Thomas, Cormac Walter, and Maeve Eleanor O’Meara; her sister-in-law, Patsy Garside Crockett of Augusta; many nieces and nephews; and lots of friends. Eleanor was also loved as a “surrogate mom” by many of Deb’s friends.

Eleanor’s family would like to thank the incredibly caring staffs at The Inn at Village Square and Affinity Care of Maine Hospice.

Arrangements are in care of Wilson Funeral Home in Gray. There will be a private burial. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m. at The Inn at Fogg Farm located at 65 Lewiston Rd., Gray. Friends and family are lovingly invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to support the activity fund at The Inn at Village Square.

You may send a donation to the following:

The Inn at Village Square

123 School St.

Gorham, ME 04038

(Attention: Activity Fund)

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