Eleanor Dreshfield

Eleanor was born in East St. Louis, Illinois to Flora and Jacob Eisenstein on November 29, 1933. After graduating from East St. Louis High School in 1951, Eleanor completed a B.S. in Elementary Education at the University of Illinois in June 1955. It was at the university that she met the love of her life, Robert Dreshfield. They married in June 1956. Their 2 children, Robin (Marks) and Eric, were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Eleanor stayed home with her children until after Eric was in first grade, when she returned to school, studying Library Technology at Cuyahoga Community College. She worked at Porter Public Library in Westlake, Ohio for many years, and during that time took a Cataloging class at Case Western Reserve University. This led to a job at Union Carbide’s library from which she retired in January 1996.

Eleanor sang throughout her adult life, as a soloist and member of the synagogue choir and as a paid soloist at a church in Medina. She was in the musical Porgy and Bess and recently sang with the choir and in the musical Guys and Dolls at the Renaissance Retirement Campus.

Eleanor enjoyed a long and active retirement, traveling with her husband and sometimes her daughter.

In 2018 Eleanor and Robert moved to an apartment in a continuing care community where they enjoyed bridge, live musical performances and the fitness center and pool. Eleanor started a Mah Jong group and taught many women there how to play.

In her later years, she especially enjoyed when both children visited at the same time and sharing the crossword puzzle with her husband and visiting children.

Eleanor is survived by her husband, of 69 years, Robert, children, Robin Marks (Scott) and Eric (Cindy), grandchildren, Martin Marks, Allison, Whitney Marks and Bonnie, nieces and nephews, Steven Pordy, Ken (Susan), Richard (Sue), Gerry (Tracey), Karen (Peter) Levine, Jill (Jerrid) Casero, David, Anne, and Jacob and many other loving extended family members and friends.

A graveside service will be Tuesday January 20 at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Rittman, OH. The service will be at 12:15 pm.

A short service and fellowship will follow from 2:15 pm to 4:30 pm at the Renaissance, 26376 John Road, Olmsted Township, Oh. Also, there will be visitation at the Renaissance from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in her memory be directed to Beth Israel—The West Temple, The Musical Theater Project or Eliza Jennings Foundation.

Arrangements were made under the supervision of Berkowitz Kumin Bookatz Memorial Chapel.