Eleanor Dorothy Lechman

Eleanor D. Lechman (nee Walson), age 94, passed away Sunday, August 6, 2022 at Ascension St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren. She was born on September 14, 1927 in Flint, Michigan to the late John Walson and the late Anna Walson (nee Drenovski). Eleanor was raised in Flint and graduated from Flint Northern in 1945. After high school, she went to work in the office at General Motors in Flint. Continuing her career with General Motors brought Eleanor to Los Angles, California. She drove solo across the country in her own car, a rarity for a young single woman in the early 1950’s. Over the next five to six years, she enjoyed the beautiful western coast of our country, creating many new friends, memories and even learning to ski.

Before returning to Michigan, Eleanor’s parents, who were good friends with Charles and Anna Lechman, planned a meeting between Eleanor and the Lechman’s son, Donald. The courtship began and on January 10, 1959, they married at Sacred Heart Church in Flint. The happy couple lived in their flat in Center Line where they welcomed their first and only child, Stephen, in 1960. Soon after Stephen’s birth, the family moved to their current home in Warren where Eleanor has spent the last 61 years.

Eleanor was a busy woman and always had something to do. After Stephen’s birth she started working for Williams Services in downtown Detroit. There, she performed inventory services for several local clothing stores, manually creating spreadsheets for each store. Little did Stephen know this would one day become his first job in 1976. Through the 1980’s and 1990’s she worked for a realtor on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores.

With many years of hard work, Eleanor and Donald retired and began the next, and biggest, chapter of their lives. They traveled the world together. From Africa to Asia and Europe to the Middle East, Egypt and Kenya, the happy couple were always on the move. With their van, they also explored the United States, Canada and even drove up to Alaska. While traveling, Eleanor was able to perfect one of her hobbies, photography. She filled photo albums of the many trips they had taken. Her love of photography trickled down to her son Stephen, who is also a photographer. When she didn’t have a camera in her hand, Eleanor could be found with a crochet hook or knitting needle. She enjoyed taking fabric and yarn and making something new, from dresses, ties and other clothing. Other things that brought joy to her were cooking and baking. In the 1970’s, before it had the popularity it has today, Eleanor had a passion for eating healthy. Her many recipes of granola and yogurt are all the rage today. Of all the hobbies that she had, Eleanor took pride in her garden and flower collection. Planting each seed to bring fresh foods to her family gave her joy and tending to her rose garden collection was the sight out of a home and garden catalogue.

Eleanor D. Lechman was the beloved wife of the late Donald. Dear mother of Stephen (Margaret). Loving grandmother of Brendan and Breanna (Delbert) Hammond and proud great grandmother of Maria, Khloe, Olivia, Emily, Kendalyn and Christina. Visitation for Eleanor will be on Wednesday, August 10 from 4pm to 8pm with a7pm Rosary at D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home at 30009 Hoover Road in Warren. She will lie in state on Thursday, August 11 from 9:30am until the time of a Funeral Mass at 10am at St. Faustina Catholic Church at 14025 Twelve Mile Road in Warren. She will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Donald, at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township.