Eleanor R. (Fuller) Howard, 91 years old, wife of the late Russell W. Howard, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2013, surrounded by loving family members. Born on November 19, 1921, Eleanor was the daughter of the late Samuel and Marion (Todd) Fuller and was a direct descendant of Dr. Samuel Fuller who came here on the Mayflower and the Rev. James Keith who was the first minister of Old Bridgewater. She grew up in East Bridgewater and spent many happy childhood summers at the Fuller family cottage at Rocky Nook in Kingston, where she nurtured her love for the sea and sunsets. She was Valedictorian of East Bridgewater’s Class of 1939 and graduated in 1943 from the Massachusetts School of Art. She moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1944, where she began her teaching career. She and Russell were married in Oak Ridge on December 17, 1945. They returned to East Bridgewater and in 1949 moved to Hanson where they raised their family. Mrs. Howard was a Brownie and Girl Scout leader for several years and in 1963 she returned to teaching art. She taught in the Hanover public schools for seventeen years, retiring in 1980. After her retirement, she pursued many interests. She wrote poetry and stories about old family homes and experiences in East Bridgewater, Kingston and Hanson. Using pastels, she created many beautiful family portraits, landscapes and seascapes which she exhibited at the Kingston Public Library and which are now family treasures. Mrs. Howard was a member of the First Congregational Church in Hanson, the Plymouth County Retired Teachers Association, the Old Bridgewater Historical Society, the Hanson Historical Society and the Pilgrim Society. She loved animals and worked tirelessly to protect them from harm.
She is survived by her three loving daughters Cynthia R, Fish and her husband Raymond of Hanson, Jane K. Clemons and her husband Philip, also of Hanson and Judith A. Gaudreau and her husband Michael of Marshfield. She was the very proud grandmother of Lauren J. Fish of Washington, DC, Mark R. Fish and his wife Yasemin Sarikaya of Los Angeles, CA, Sarah J. Thompson and her husband Peter of Brighton, David R. Clemons of Quincy, Linda A Gaudreau and her fiancé Jeffery Costello of Old Town, Me and John R. Gaudreau of Marshfield. She also leaves two cherished great grandchildren, Filiz and Sam. She was the beloved sister of Samuel Fuller and his wife Dorothy of Billerica, sister–in-law of Marjorie Bates of Hanson and sister of the late Lorraine T. Ingalls. She was a special aunt to many nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service celebrating Eleanor’s life will be held on Saturday May 11th at 11:00 AM at the First Congregational Church, 639 High St., Hanson followed by a reception at the church. A private burial will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be sent to the MSPCA, 350 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130 www.MSPCA.org or the First Congregational Church, 639 High St., Hanson, Ma 02341