Eleanor Ellie Ponstingle Douglas

Eleanor Douglas (Ellie) 84, passed away on February 22, 2011 in Newport Beach CA. She is survived by her Daughter Gale, Son Keith (wife Lesley), Grandchildren, Ricardo, Aurora, Jennifer, Sarah (husband George), & Adam, Great-Grandchildren, Lucia (8) Laura (5) & Cash, (10 months). She is also survived by Cousin John Ponstingle (wife Rea) of North Olmsted Ohio and nieces and nephews in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Ellie was born on April 30, 1926 in Cleveland Ohio, the youngest girl of eight children to Frank and Julia (Nemeth) Ponstingle. Sister of Helen Schwemmler, William Ponstingle, Ernest Ponstingle, Marie Ponstingle, Emily Ponstingle-Wollerman, Arthur Ponstingle and Robert Ponstingle, all deceased. She graduated from West Technical High School, Cleveland Ohio in 1946. In 1947 she married Norman (Norm) Jack Douglas, who passed away October 23, 2009. They had been married for 63 years. Together they moved from Ohio to California in the early 1950’s. During WWII she worked for Western Union delivering telegrams on skates. She also did volunteer work for the Red Cross making socks and special packages for the troops overseas. When she and Norm moved to West Covina, California she worked as a secretary for the Texaco Company in downtown LA. She knew a lot about the teletype machines which were the latest technology in the 1950’s. When Gale and Keith were small, she became a stay-at-home Mom until they were in junior high. She went back to work in the school cafeterias of Northview and South Hills High School in Covina and West Covina. She then became a bank teller at Security Pacific Bank. In 1978, she and Norm moved to Prescott, Arizona after Norm’s retirement from the City of Los Angeles. She worked for First National Bank in downtown Prescott until she retired full time in 1988. They lived in Prescott 30 years. She had a love for hummingbirds and kept a humming bird feeder hanging from her porch in front of her living room and kitchen windows. She enjoyed planting marigolds every year in her planter. Her favorite ice cream was pralines & cream. She loved playing cards and dominoes and loved to shop when we came up to visit. She also had an unconditional love for dogs no matter what size, color or breed. They made her smile and laugh whenever they were around her. In 2008, Son Keith & Daughter-in-law Lesley brought them to live in Costa Mesa at the Heathers, a senior care facility. There, she spent the last two and a half years in a loving, caring environment with frequent visits from her family. She was very happy, had a good sense of humor and always had a smile on her face. We will all miss her dearly.