Eleanor Ruth Holiday

She had previously resided at El Dorado Independent Living with her late husband Raymond who passed in 2019.

Eleanor was born in Waterville, Maine on April 5, 1928 to parents Elwyn and Birdys Witherill. Music was a passion of her childhood and she took both violin and piano lessons. Her summers were spent with her parents and brother Bob in a small family camp on Penobscot Bay in midcoast Maine. She once said that the goal was to swim every day of the summer in the chilly Maine waters! Eleanor graduated from Waterville High School and continued her education at the Boston Conservatory of Music where she graduated in 1950.

Her working career was as a music teacher in primary schools, and she had her start on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. She also taught in other towns in Massachusetts as well as upstate New York. In the early 60's she spent a year in Germany teaching at a U.S. Armed Forces school. In 1964 she took a vacation with a friend to Colorado and ended up taking a job teaching music in Colorado Springs. It was here she met Raymond Holiday and after many years of the singles life for both of them, they were married in March of 1975. The marriage was a tremendous success and Eleanor enjoyed meeting and visiting all of the Holiday relatives throughout the West!

Church was always an important part of Eleanor's life and she joined Raymond in attending the Baptist Church in Colorado Springs. They later became members of the Bellevue Heights Church in Sun City. Travel was a lifelong passion and after retirement she and Raymond traveled and took cruises all over the world. In addition to traveling the West, they would make biannual trips back to Maine and New England to connect with family and friends.

In 2002, Eleanor and Raymond moved to Sun City, Arizona full time. They had several residences here and made many wonderful friends and enjoyed showing the Arizona sites to frequent visitors.

Eleanor was predeceased by her husband Raymond, her parents Elwyn and Birdys, and her brother Robert. She is survived by her sister-in-law Jean Witherill, her nephews David and Donald Witherill of Maine, and their families, as well as numerous Holiday relatives.

A service in her memory will be held on Thursday September 26th at Sunland Memorial Park at 15826 North Del Webb Blvd, Sun City. Visitation will be at 9:00AM, Memorial Service at 10:00 followed by graveside internment. A light lunch will follow.

Donations in Eleanor's memory may be sent to the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix.