Eleanor Joanne Avila

Sea@le, WA where she attended Roosevelt High School. She then moved to California to attend

Stanford University (class of 1952) and eventually worked for the Monterey Peninsula School

District as both a teacher and a librarian.

During her life in Monterey County, she used her love of music and piano to accompany the Monterey Peninsula Choral Society, the Monterey Symphony Chorus, the Carmel Bach Festival, and the Monterey Chapter of the San Jose Symphonic Choir. In the 1980s, Eleanor decided to study organ with Ken Ahrens and this led to playing the organ in services within Carmel, Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Salinas, CA.

She and her husband Richard Avila (dec. 1995) of over three decades raised their two

sons Dave and Joel in Carmel Valley. She is survived by her sons Dave (Kristine) Avila, Joel

(Veronica) Avila, and her young adult grandchildren, Paulo, Anaía, Alyssa, and Kassidy. Her

grandchildren were special to her and the families visited her often from their homes in the

Northern CA Bay Area.

Eleanor would like to be remembered as a supporter of beautiful rural Carmel Valley, as

a lover of children, books, libraries, music, and family. Her family will always remember her as a

though\ul and generous person, an avid walker, hiker, traveler, art enthusiast, and as someone

who immensely enjoyed her life in Carmel Valley and who treasured her sons and

grandchildren.

A memorial will be held at St. Philips Lutheran Church located at 8065 Carmel Valley Rd

in Carmel, CA 93923 on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 at 2PM with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers,

the family suggests donations to the St. Dunstan’s Organ Maintenance Fund.