Eleanor A. Mirsky
December 7, 2012

Eleanor Annette Fels Mirsky (1913 - 2012)
Obituary

Eleanor Annette Fels Mirsky, at age 99, died on November 28th in her home facing the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by her daughters, Elisabeth Mirsky Ruchkin and her husband Daniel Ruchkin from Lake Placid New York, and Lynn Ellen Mirsky O'Connor and her husband David James Stiver of San Francisco. Also with her were her two beloved caretakers, Valentina Ulezko and Anna Gonzalez who had been caring for her daily, over the last four and a half years and who had become in essence, her daughters in absentia. Eleanor leaves 4 grandchildren, Mark Goldman and his wife Jane Goldman, from Eagle Rock, CA, Daniel J. O'Connor of Salt Lake City, Utah, Steven O'Connor and his wife Marisol O'Connor from South Pasadena, CA, and Judy Goldman now living in Dublin Ireland. In addition she leaves her four adored great grandchildren, James D. O'Connor and his wife Marjorie O'Connor from San Francisco, Jackson Goldman, from Eagle Rock, CA, Franklin O'Connor of Sandy Utah, and Hyacinth O'Connor from South Pasadena. CA. They will all dearly miss Great Grandma Eleanor who has been very much the center, the matriarch, of the family for many years.

Eleanor was married in 1931 to the well-known medical researcher Dr. I. Arthur Mirsky, who died in 1974. Both were born and raised in Montreal Canada, moving to the US as Arthur pursued his medical and scientific career, and became US citizens. Dr. Mirsky served on the faculty at the Medical School, University of Cincinnati, and then the Medical School, University of Pittsburgh where he founded the department of Clinical Science. In 1972, Eleanor and Arthur moved to LA to set up a Department of Clinical Science with a joint appointment at the Brentwood VA and UCLA Department of Medicine. Until a few months before the end of her life, Eleanor was an active member of the UCLA Plato Society, and in prior years, a Docent at the UCLA Museum. Her active intelligence and vivid love of life never faded. In her 30s and 40s, she was a President and a Board Member of the League of Women's Voters of Pennsylvania. She spent many years organizing disadvantaged citizens to vote, helping them register as voters and teaching them to use the difficult to handle election machines then in use in PA.

In Eleanor's late 80s she fell in love with Carl Hineser. They spent several wonderful years together, until he died several years later. Eleanor loved travel, she loved art, and she continued to participate in organized art trips well into her 90s. In 2007 Eleanor suffered a stroke from which she recovered, although she finally agreed to stop driving and traveling and she welcomed Valentina and Anna into her home and her life. Their loving care helped to make it possible for Eleanor to continue having an active life with daily swimming, classes at the Plato Society, frequent visits to the few friends of hers who were still living. She maintained close relationships with nieces and nephews, particularly Sally Weiland, and her partner Lynn DeSmith, Nancy Weiland, Ronald Weiland and his wife of San Diego. She also maintained close relations with her great niece Lisa and her husband and children, and her niece Lois Goodwill of San Francisco. She continued living almost independently until the last four months of her life when her heath began to fail. Even then, only three days before her death, she was reading the papers avidly, engaging her daughter Lynn and her son-in-law David in lively conversations about the news, about art, family history and politics. She remained a champion of freedom, and celebrated the second victory of President Barach Obama.

She rests next to her husband I. Arthur Mirsky at Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, Los Angeles CA. Her family requests that any gifts in her memory be donated to League of Women's Voters or Planned Parenthood, two organizations with which she strongly identified.

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