Eloise E. Gordon

ELOISE ROBOTHAM ATTENDED THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN COLONEL’S RIDGE UNTIL HER FATHER JOE PASSED AWAY AND MS. TOTTY MOVED TO COOPERS HILL , ST ANDREW AND SETTLED NEAR THE DISTRICT CALLED PADMORE. SHE THEN ATTENDED SCHOOL IN COOPERS HILL UNTIL SHE WENT TO LINDO’S COMMERCIAL ACADEMY RUN BY A MR. AND MRS. LINDO WHERE SHE STUDIED SECRETARIAL SUBJECT COURSES BEFORE GAINING HER FIRST JOB.

HER FIRST JOB WAS AT RODGER’S PRINTERY AT WATER LANE IN KINGSTON WHERE SHE WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. SHE ALSO WORKED AT THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR.

DURING HER TIME WORKING AT THE PRINTERY, SHE MEET STANLEY GORDON WHOM SHE WOULD MARRY ON DECEMBER 17, 1955. THE MARRIAGE PRODUCED TWO CHILDREN, PATRICK, AND JUDITH.

AFTER THE SEPARATION OF OUR PARENTS, OUR MOTHER ELOISE THEN MIGRATED TO THE USA JOINING HER MOTHER AND STEPFATHER IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK IN 1970. ELOISE LIVED IN BROOKLYN BUT WORKED WITH THE BERNSTEIN FAMILY, WHO OWNED A BRASSIERE FACTORY IN MANHATTAN AND ELOISE’S JOB WAS TO TAKE CARE OF THE MATRIARCH OF THE BERNSTEIN FAMILY, MRS. BERNSTEIN. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT MRS. BERNSTEIN LOVED TO TALK, AND ANYBODY WHO KNEW OUR MOTHER WOULD KNOW THAT TALKING WAS HER FORTE. HER AND MRS. BERNSTEIN BECAME INSEPARABLE AND THE BERNSTEIN FAMILY VIRTUALLY ADOPTED MOMMY. MRS. BERNSTEIN SPENT THE WINTERS AT AN APARTMENT IN HALLANDALE BEACH AND ELOISE ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED HER. I BELIEVE THAT’S WHERE ELOISE’S LOVE FOR FLORIDA STARTED. ELOISE’S MOTHER (MS. TOTTY) RETIRED FROM HER JOB AND ALONG WITH UNCLE CLIFFORD CAME TO LIVE IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA.

ELOISE NOT ONLY WORKED WITH A JEWISH FAMILY BUT IN SEVERAL WAYS BECAME A JEW HERSELF. SHE SPENT VERY LITTLE BUT WAS A VORACIOUS SAVER AND FINANCIAL PLANNER.

ELOISE THEN BOUGHT HER HOUSE IN INVERRARY, FT. LAUDERDALE FOR CASH, AND EVENTUALLY RETIRED ON MRS. BERNSTEIN’S PASSING AND CAME TO LIVE IN BROWARD COUNTY CLOSE TO HER MOTHER. SHE SPENT HER RETIREMENT YEARS ADMIRING HER ACKEE TREE AND MANGO TREES, HER MINT PLANTS AND THE FEW ROSES AND OTHER FLOWERS THAT SHE WOULD PLANT IN THE YARD AND WATCH GROW. SHE ALSO LOVED TO COOK AND BAKE.

ELOISE LOST MUCH OF HER MOBILITY AFTER SHE FRACTURED HER HIP SOME YEARS AGO, AND ALONG WITH OTHER HEALTH ISSUES LIVED A CONFINED LIFE IN HER LATTER YEARS. HER INDEPENDENT NATURE SAW HER ALWAYS WANTING TO DO THINGS FOR HERSELF, SO SHE CONTINUED TO LIVE HER LIFE IN A WAY THAT SHE FOUND MOST COMFORTABLE AND FULFILLING JUDITH AND I AND ALL HER NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS HAD TO RESPECT HER WISHES.

ELOISE LIVE A FULL LIFE TWO MONTHS SHORT OF 92 YEARS. SHE EXPERIENCED ALL THAT LIFE ON THIS EARTH GIVES TO EVERYONE OF US. LOVE AND PAIN. SWEET AND BITTERNESS OF RELATIONSHIPS. JOY AND SORROW, THE UPS, AND THE DOWNS BUT SHE MEET EACH EMOTION AND SITUATION HEAD ON, SHE NEVER BACKED DOWN, SHE PICKED HERSELF UP FROM OFF THE GROUND IN JAMAICA AND CAME HERE TO THE USA AND MADE A GOOD LIFE FOR HERSELF. WORKED HARD, BEING INDEPENDENT AND HOLDING HER HEAD HIGH. NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS AND IN HER OWN WAY CONTINUED TO PRAISE THE LORD.

ELOISE LEAVES BEHIND DAUGHTER JUDITH, SON PATRICK, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW EILEEN. FIVE GRANDSONS AND SIX GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, AND MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.

SHE IS NOW WITH HER HEAVENLY FATHER, AND OUR HOPE AND PRAYER IS THAT HE HAS WELCOMED HER WITH OPEN ARMS. SHE IS NOW RESTING IN ETERNAL BLISS. AND IS NOW FINALLY AT PEACE.