Eleanor Esther Alexander White

Eleanor Alexander White, age 97, of Sunnyvale CA, passed away on November 28, 2018. Eleanor had also been a long-time resident of Marblehead MA, Middleton MA, and Delray Beach, FL. She was born in Boston MA on February 14, 1921. She was predeceased by her parents Pauline and Louis Alexander, her husband, Jack White, her daughter, Zelda White, and her siblings Ruth Labins, Greg Alexander, and Lawrence Alexander. She leaves behind her loving daughters, Emily White, Paula White-Reddy, son-in-law Satya Reddy, grandson Natan Reddy, and several nieces and a nephew.

Eleanor grew up on Duke Street in Mattapan, MA where she was the youngest of four. She graduated from Mattapan schools and the Hickox Secretarial School. She had a very close and loving relationship with her mother in particular and was a devoted daughter to both her parents. She married the love of her life, Jack White, in 1949 after he came back from serving in WW2. Eleanor was incredibly creative and artistic. She was a gourmet cook and baker and both she and Jack enjoyed entertaining where she did all the cooking. Her food was so delicious that their friends avidly waited for dinner invitations. She was also a consummate landscape designer and gardener. She designed their Marblehead home's backyard into a beautiful landscape which contained a fish pond, Japanese gardens, and flowering cherry trees. Eleanor along with her husband and daughters were very active members for many years in the Marblehead Jewish community including being founding members of Temple Sinai, and longtime members of the North Shore Jewish Community Center, and supporters of Cohen Hillel Academy.

Eleanor managed her father’s business office before she married. When her children began high school, she began working at the North Shore Medical Center, Salem MA where she co-managed the EEG lab for many years. She enjoyed working and made several wonderful friends from her time there. She and Jack loved to travel and took many trips all over the world for many years. After retirement, Eleanor and Jack moved to Delray Beach FL where they lived for 20 years where she enjoyed the camaraderie of old and new friends, travel, and the many visits from her children and only grandchild. After her husband Jack passed away in 2010, she moved to Sunnyvale CA to be near her daughters Emily and Polly; both of whom live in the SF Bay area.

The graveside service will take place on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2018, at 11:30 am at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens in Boynton Beach FL. For donations in her memory: Palo Alto Animal Services, Palo Alto CA.