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In Memory of Éloïse De Pelteau
JoanP:
In Loving Memory
Éloïse De Pelteau
Discussion Leader, Hôtesse Extraordinaire et chère, chère Amie
JoanP:
"Je me souviens"...Montreal's official motto. Can we ever hear that again without thinking of Éloïse? A member of our Books and Lit family for such a long time! Whenever a French book was to be discussed, Éloïse was right there with us. I was looking in our Archives this morning and saw her leading a discussion of Madame Bovary - in 2003 - all in French! And you'd be surprised at the number our participants who followed right along with her.
Outside of the book discussions, she rarely missed a social gathering, smiling, laughing and listening. A real friend. Who will forget that huge "bash" in Montreal - which she planned and hosted herself with such apparent ease!
There are some people that come into our lives we will never forget. Madame De Pelteau is one of those special people. Please use this space to share your memories of this very special lady.
ginny:
And yet again we've lost another bright light here on SeniorLearn. It's with great sadness that I heard of Eloise's passing. It hasn't even been a year since we saw her in NYC!
Eloise, always elegant, beautiful, a master chef as we found out at Books at the Beach at The Isle of Palms, and whose great love was her children and family. You couldn't have a conversation with Eloise and not hear about them all, how proud she was of them.
In NYC however, Eloise shone. Ride the train from Canada to NYC? Not a problem. Dragging heavy suitcases? Get from Penn Station to our hotel? Not a problem! She was amazing!
Everyone was enchanted by her spirit and good will. We took a boat ride around NYC. The wind was howling, it was cold, threatening rain, drizzling, alternating with blistering sun, everybody ran for the stairs to get out from the burning sun/ wind/ possible rain. Yours truly and some other less hardy souls sat below all the action but Eloise, not content with blowing away topside, came below and went right out on the rail, wanting to savor it all.
She was an indefatigable good sport, and appreciated and enjoyed everything to the fullest. Her glass was 7/8ths full no matter what. She brought my 4 year old grandson some books in French to NYC, and he was thrilled to be able to hear and see Cars in another language. She led our book discussion of Les Peregrines IN French and I don't think any of us will ever forget her positive kind approach to our awful French, it was wonderful. We were still talking/ laughing about it in NYC.
And now Eloise and her bright spirit have left us, but she's left behind a wonderful example to anybody of what aging ought to be like, and memories of wonderful friendship. We will never forget her. I hope if other people have more photos of Eloise they will bring them here, too.
ANNIE:
Bon voyage, my friend, Eloise. You brought so much love to all of us, in our discussions here on SL and earlier on SN. I will always carry a picture of you and your wonderful smile in my heart. I will always remember your joining us in Charleston (with you and Anna gracefully manning the kitchen). I remember your trip on the train to join us in NYC just one year ago today. Mary(my sister)and I spent a lovely day with you shopping on 5th Ave and visiting "The Plaza" hotel where another Eloise lived in days passed.
Thank you for sharing your love of life and family with all of us. We will be keeping that family in our kind thoughts and prayers especially this week.
Bon voyage, my friend.
Radioman:
I had the pleasure of meeting Eloise at the end of July. A week prior to my visit we chatted on the telephone for about half an hour, a vibrant and lively conversation; a week later when we met she had lost the power of speech, but not the power to sing. At supper that evening as I sat across from Eloise and her daughter Isablelle, her daughter asked if she would like to sing a song called Le Fiacre a song they had shared from childhood. Eloise nodded her head and her face lit up with the most radiant smile you could ever imagine and the two of them sang together in such a way that I was in tears just watching and listening. And in that moment I knew I had captured the essence of a most vibrant lady who had lived her life to the fullest.
Here is a photo of Eloise and her daughter which I took at a bistro where we stopped for lunch on the way home from the hospital.
How i regret that I never met her sooner
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