Eloise M. Willis

Eloise (Elly) Willis of Jacksonville, FL, passed away at the age of 91 after a brief illness on April 25, 2019. She was born in New York City in 1927 to parents Onofre and Isabel Belloso who immigrated from Venezuela and established a Wall Street import/export business. Upon graduation from St. Frances Xavier Cabrini High School in Manhattan, Elly worked at the firm translating from Spanish for international customers while attending Columbia University. As a talented singer she also entertained the troops through the New York City USO. Seeing Elly at her father's office her future husband Bill declared to his friends "I am going to marry that girl." They married in April 1951 with their wedding reception at The Essex House in Manhattan. They moved out to Long Island where they raised two daughters and two sons. Elly taught Red Cross swimming and water safety classes and as a certified SCUBA diver, assisted her husband in teaching and certifying divers through the Marine Science Institute at C.W. Post College, Long Island University. In addition, Elly was a Girl Scout leader for many years with a troop highlighting travel. She became a private practice legal secretary and continued that career at Grumman Aerospace Corporation on Long Island. A few years after the death of her husband in 1991 Elly moved to Jacksonville, FL to be closer to three of her four children. Embracing her new Florida home, Elly was an active member of the Mandarin Garden Club, Mandarin Women's Club, St. Joseph's Catholic Church Young at Heart and volunteered at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville. She was extremely gifted at crafting handmade greeting cards and created and sold her unique jewelry through her business "Elegance by Eloise." She loved to travel and visited Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, South America, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada and was a vivacious traveling companion. Elly was an ardent supporter of her younger sister Professor Emeritus Josephine Belloso and her dynamic art career. She recently travelled to Stowe, Vermont to celebrate Josephine's completion of artistic renovations to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and her book documenting the process.

Elly is pre-deceased by her parents, husband, William M. Willis Jr., and son, William. She is survived by her sister Josephine Belloso; daughter and son-in-law Patty and Michael McQueen; daughter and son-in-law Jeanne and Bill McMurray; son and daughter-in-law Richard and Lori Willis; her grandchildren Alexis, Thomas, Christopher, Liz and Mark and four great-grandchildren (Madisyn, Aria, Olivia and Isla.)

A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 1:00 PM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 11757 Old St Augustine Rd, Jacksonville. A Reception will follow at Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin 11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223. She will be laid to rest with her husband Bill at Calverton National Cemetery, Long Island, NY.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the United Services Organization (USO.)

Arrangements are under the care and direction of HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME OF MANDARIN, 11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223. www.hgmandarin.com (904) 288-0025.