November 29, 1925 - March 17, 2021
Eleanor went quietly in the wee hours of March 17th, with her children and classical music accompanying her journey.
Born in the then remote small mountain town of Lillooet BC, she was transported, through reading, to the great wonders of the world beyond. And she was eager to see these wonders.
After whirl winding about BC as a young school teacher she met and married John Routley and the two of them beetled across the country in a back firing, unpredictable Morris Mini Minor to Ottawa, where John completed his medical residency. They then settled in Nanaimo where John doctored and Eleanor brought Ian and Megan into the world.
With her family she skied, sailed, hiked, camped and travelled the globe. On every trip abroad, Eleanor read books by local authors to better capture the essence of the country. She embraced other cultures and languages with curiosity and delight.
Eleanor had a passion for the wild places and the wild creatures and devoted much of her time to protecting these. She was an active member of local and national naturalists societies and spent many hours walking the green spaces of Nanaimo, many of which she helped create.
She loved all animals, and when one of her children developed allergies to the beloved family dogs, it was clear the dogs were not going anywhere and there would be some sneezing to contend with!
She was a patron of the arts and was a regular at the Port Theater and Nanaimo Play House.
Eleanor thought globally and acted locally long before the phrase was coined and she was a trailblazer in the environmental movement with recycling, eschewing pesticides, saving water, and all the other citizen contributions for a better planet.
Eleanor was a wise woman for she recognized what true riches were. She married a good man and she had a large circle of beloved friends. She was loyal, inclusive, quick to share a laugh, and so very kind and generous to friends and strangers alike.
She will be missed enormously.