Eleanor Jane Doty
Sept. 3, 1926-Dec. 1, 2017
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Andy Doty
Eleanor Doty died of natural causes surrounded by loving family in her home at the Vi in Palo Alto. She was 91. She was born Eleanor Jane Baker on Sept. 3, 1926, in Hudson Falls, New York, the daughter of Harry and Charlotte Baker. She graduated from Hudson Falls High School in 1944. She was captain of the cheer-leading team, was active in numerous organizations, and was voted the “most popular girl” in her class. She became engaged to her high school sweetheart, Andy Doty, and corresponded with him throughout his service in World War II and their college years. They married on July 29, 1950, and raised three daughters. The family lived in in Canton, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Ann Arbor, Michgan before settling in Palo Alto, California in 1963.
Eleanor will be remembered for her great zest for life, her deep love of family and friends, and her adventuresome spirit leading to treasured hikes and explorations in Yosemite and the Sierras, Point Reyes Seashore, the Italian Dolomites, England’s hill and dale, Oregon’s Three Sisters Wilderness and the Colorado Rocky Mountains. She and Andy held season tickets to theater companies in San Francisco, Berkeley, Palo Alto and Ashland (Oregon). She was an avid Stanford sports fan alongside her husband and many friends.
She savored creating scrumptious meals and gathering her circle around the table, with a bottle of wine, for spirited conversation and much laughter well into the wee hours; she was an avid reader attending weekly literature and poetry classes, monthly book clubs and author readings. And she played a wicked game of tennis well into her 70s.
At the age of 57, Eleanor returned to work in client services at the former Career Action Center in Palo Alto. She savored the opportunity to work with a team of strong, compassionate, wonderful women committed to providing first-in-class resources for clients exploring career opportunities in the Silicon Valley. She remembered her years at the Center among her happiest.
She is survived by her husband of 67 years, a brother and his wife, three daughters and sons in law and six grandchildren. They include: Bobbie and Jackie Baker (Fort Lauderdale, Florida); Susan (Doty), Michael, Meredith and Rebecca Shepard (Boulder, Colorado); Ann (Doty), Andy, David and Michael Protter (Palo Alto, California); Nancy Doty, Bill, Erica and Amy Howe (Boulder, Colorado).
Along the way, an aspiring graduate student from Holland, Rob Van der Wijngaart, joined the family in all but name. He is father to two sons, Ben and Tim (San Jose, California).
The family is deeply indebted to the compassionate staff at the Vi, to Betty Nguyen in particular who cared for Eleanor daily with tenderness and love. And also to the staff and volunteers at Mission Hospice, especially to Pat Rice who brought poetry, song, kindness and laughter to Eleanor each Wednesday for the better part of a year. In her final days, Eleanor shared with her family the precious gift of last love, generously given and received. She drew us together as she did in life and we will forever hold her close and dear.
