Eleanor Dale

Eleanor is survived by her son and his wife, Greg Dale and Leigh-Anne Niehaus, daughter Michelle Berner and her partner Anthony Graziano, her niece who she considered her daughter, Tracy Hagerman, her beloved grandchildren Katie, Sadie, Marlowe, James, and Ryan, and her dear brother John Middleton. Eleanor is preceded in death by her father and mother, Steve and Frances, brother Ronnie, and sister June.

Eleanor “Ellie” was born in Paarl, South Africa, to Steve and Frances Middleton on October 5th, 1950. She went to school at Pretoria Girls High.

After the birth of her two children, Eleanor made it her life’s work to be the finest mother in the world. Selfless, warm and loving, she instilled in her children a deep appreciation of the importance of family and friendship. The bona fide life and soul of the party, there was never a room that she was in that wasn’t brightened by her laugh and shining wide smile. A familiar sight to everyone who knew her, was Ellie, or Ouma as she was lovingly known, starting a line dance to Achy Breaky Heart, where she was inevitably joined by the whole room.

Born and raised in South Africa, she also travelled the world, teaching her children a love of travel and exotic places from youth. From Russia to Thailand, Cape Town to Cape Cod, she was equally at home on the back of a camel as she was on a cruise ship, no doubt charming the captain. Her last journey was her permanent move to Old Saybrook to live with her daughter and her loving family, close to her children and grandchildren in North America. In this time she worked as a paraeducator at the Kathleen E. Goodwin Elementary School, where she no doubt touched the hearts of the children she so loved there.

The endless messages that have already come in from all over the world are testament to a deeply loved lady who will be missed by every person who ever met her, no matter how briefly.

She will be fiercely missed by her large loving family of nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless lifelong friends all over the world.

Surrounded by her children who were with her, witnessing her bravery to the end, she left us in the same way she lived, with grace, dignity, and that big wide smile.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 1st at 12 Crowley Drive, Old Saybrook, from 5-8pm.

Eleanor’s family wishes to extend sincere thanks to the wonderful nurses and medical professionals at Middlesex Hospital, and the Middlesex Health Hospice Program. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Middlesex Health Hospice Program, c/o Middlesex Health, Office of Philanthropy, 28 Crescent Street, Middlesex, CT 06457 or online at MiddlesexHealth.org/hospicedonation