She was born in East Boston, MA on March 07, 1936, to Joseph E. Gleason and Elizabeth P. Gleason (Crawford). She was the tenth of 11 children and their youngest daughter. She attended Catholic schools in East Boston, graduating from high school in 1953 from Most Holy Redeemer Catholic High School for Girls.
After graduation she worked briefly at Sears & Roebuck Co. before beginning a career with New England Telephone and Telegraph Co. She would remain at the Telephone company for 15 years until 1968 when she began her family.
On April 1, 1967 she married her husband of 53 years, Domenic W. Bernabei, and moved from East Boston, MA to Portland, ME to begin her family. She had five children; four daughters Judith, Lenore, Kathleen & Maureen before she gave birth to her son, Andrew. For 13 years she was a stay at home mother before beginning her second career with St. Joseph’s Parish in Portland, ME as Director of Religious Education, a position she held until her retirement in 1997.
She was active in her parish, St. Joseph’s as member of the Home & School Association and is remembered for her fundraising with the “Giant Yard Sales” and the “Adopt a Student” program which raised funds for tuition assistance. As her children entered high school, she continued to be active in the Parents’ Clubs of both Cheverus and Catherine McAuley High Schools. In addition to preparing young people for the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation; she would direct the Stations of the Cross productions at St. Joseph’s that were performed each year as part of Holy Week.
When school ended for the summer, you could find her at camp in Belmont, NH at Lake Winnisquam. There family and friends were always welcome, and on weekends it wouldn’t be unusual to see 30-40 friends and family gathering for the Sunday BBQ. She would remain at camp each summer until school began in the fall, returning one final time each October to close the camp for the winter and say goodbye to her camp friends until the next summer. Other activities she enjoyed were watching Boston sports teams, reading, crafting, knitting, and attending her children’s various sports and school activities. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, either playing board games such as “Sorry” or card games, especially Michigan Rummy. Each grandchild had their own jar of pennies at Nana’s to use when they played. In her later years she was able to keep in touch with family and friends through social media, especially Facebook.
She is predeceased by her husband, her parents, and her siblings; Joseph E Gleason Jr, George L. Gleason, Robert H. Gleason, Charles P. Gleason, Isabel M. Gleason & Mary Alice Corlito.
She is survived by her children; Judith M. Carlstrom and her husband, Erik of Portland, ME; Lenore A. Hilton and her husband, Todd of Portland, ME; Kathleen M. Lawrence and her husband, Ken of Roswell, GA; Maureen E Smart and her husband, Brian of South Portland, ME; Andrew D. Bernabei and his wife, Stephanie (Martinson) of Leicester, MA. She is also survived by her grandchildren; Nicholas and Rachael Lawrence, Abigail and Emma Bernabei, Griffin, McKenzie and Grady Smart and Alison Hilton; her sister, Pauline E Miozza of Dover, DE; her brother, James W. Gleason of East Boston, MA; and many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours for Eleanor on Friday, August 20, from 3-7p.m. at Jones Rich and Barnes funeral home, 199 Woodford St., Portland, ME 04103. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, August 21, at 11a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 673 Stevens Ave, Portland ME 04103. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Portland ME.
