Eleanor Thompson Carter, 76, Easley, S.C., went to be with our Lord at 2 p.m. May 24, 2018, in Greenville (S.C.) Memorial Hospital.
She is survived by four children: Lori Moore, Christopher (Merae) Meek, Darrell (Peg) Ruch and Steven Ruch.
She is also survived by 15 grandchildren: Joshua, Ryan, Brittney, Rachael, Kyle, Jakayla, Courtney, Nathan, Emmalee, Mackenzie, Nicholas, Derek, Aubrey, Chazten and Felix.
She is also survived by 19 great-grandchildren: Julius, Madelynn, Mackenzie, Cameron, Kevin, Brooklyn, Natalie, Lily, Jeanna, Caleb, Abigail, Dylan, Logan, Chevi, Nora, Kaylee, Cadence, Rylan and Caiden.
She is also survived by two siblings, Edward Williams and MaryAnn Johnson-Karin.
Eleanor, most commonly known as Ellie or affectionately as International Ellie, was born to Stanley and Emma “Dorothy” Williams on Nov. 22, 1941, in Indianapolis. During her childhood she relocated a few times as her father was a sales manager for the Donut Manufacturing Corp. of America, which had the family in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Indiana. The family’s last place of primary residence was Milford. It was here Eleanor attended school and along with her siblings enjoyed the teachings and direction that included her mother, Dorothy Williams.
During the beginning of what might have been a career as a pianist she lost her father at the age of 13 to a brain tumor, thus redirecting the family’s path once again. The youngest of three, Resilience should have been her middle name as it is with that resilience and love of life that she continued through her younger years, being a member of several social and religious organizations, Daughters of the American Revolution, even submitting quite often poetry from her heart and mind – again possibly stimulated efforts from her very task-orientated upbringing.
During her life she found and lost love possibly more than most, but the result of that enduring search, she gave birth to four children that she nurtured and always saw more in each of these children than possibly each of them may have understood.
Along the way she reinvented herself from early jobs with R.R. Donnelley and Sons and several entry or lower level positions into a leadership role within Zimmer Inc. within medical education, where many might recall her same zest for life incorporated into her meeting management skills for surgeons, reps and corporate leadership within Zimmer; she would often reflect on her career and truly she cherished all of the relationships she had made throughout her years of service.
Near the end of her career she developed Crohn’s disease and decided to retire after 24 years in 1994 to spend the remaining years with family and friends. Ellie was one of the lucky ones afflicted with Crohn’s — she successfully and happily enjoyed her life nearly 24 years later, switching it up and often living with her children in an attempt to recapture the years the corporate career demanded of her being away.
Ellie will most notably be remembered by friends as one to absolutely keep invited to the party and surely by her children, as regardless of their behavior she always found the shining light in each of them as she would end every call with “I am proud of You.” Thanks, Mom.
Visitation is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 30 at Warsaw Community Church, 1855 S. County Farm Road, Warsaw, with a memorial service to follow at 3 p.m.
A private family service is planned July 2 in Oakwood Cemetery.
