Eleanor Elizabeth Omoto

Eleanor Elizabeth Omoto passed away peacefully on March 23 at the Okemos home where she resided for 57 years, surrounded by loving family members who supported her final transition. She was 90 years old.

The virtues of education and hard work anchored Eleanor’s life. While growing up on a farm in northern Ohio, she learned the value of self-reliance. Eleanor earned a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, where she met her first spouse, Sadayoshi Omoto. They had four children together.

Eleanor’s career as a physical education teacher reflected her lifelong passion for education, sports and fitness. She earned a master’s degree from Michigan State University and was a dedicated fan of the MSU Spartans.

She spent many joyous retirement years in the company of Robert “Bob” Gulliver. She rediscovered a love of music, performing on clarinet with the New Horizons Band at MSU and in the bell choir at Edgewood United Church of East Lansing.

Eleanor relished traveling in the company of other independent women, cruising to ports in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, hiking the Appalachian Trail and rafting in Alaska. She visited Cuba soon after that nation reopened to U.S. tourists. Eleanor’s thirst for knowledge was the impetus for other trips, including Chautauqua, Stratford, Ont., and RoadScholar/Edlerhostel events around the country.

She also enjoyed playing bridge and attending music and theatrical performances. Eleanor’s devotion to close friends and family were legendary, as were her quick wit and candor. Always attentive to politics, she pulled no punches in commenting on officeholders who failed to live up to her standards.

Family members can testify to Eleanor’s fierce independence and strong competitive streak. She did not suffer fools gladly. Few who opposed her in cribbage could emerge unscathed.

Eleanor’s sense of style was timeless and enduring. No errand was too small to overlook the proper choice of wardrobe.

After a lifetime filled with treasured relationships and a zest for life, the events of 2020 hit Eleanor hard. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 in December. Eventually, she was declared COVID-free, but isolation from cherished friends and activities challenged her generally upbeat view of the world.

Eleanor is survived by three children and one grandchild: Loren Daikichi Omoto (Susan Omoto) of Maitland, Fla., Allen Martin Omoto (David Robinson) of Claremont, Calif., Katherine Hester Fortin (Neal Fortin) of Okemos and their daughter, Helen Marie Hester Fortin, of Okemos. A fourth child, Roger Stewart Omoto, preceded her in death. Other survivors include her brother, David L. Hester of Norwalk, Ohio, and many nieces and nephews.

The family suggests honoring Eleanor with memorial contributions to Greater Lansing Food Bank or New Horizons International Music Association.

A Celebration of Eleanor's Life will be held at a later date.