Eleanor Sweetman Smith, 83, passed away peacefully during her afternoon nap on November 11, 2024, in her home in Concord. She is survived by her loving daughter, Randi (Smith) Soltysiak of Somerville,, her son-in-law, Mark Soltysiak, and grandchildren, Jacob Soltysiak and Ari Soltysiak; her devoted son, Lee Smith of Concord, her daughter-in-law, Jennifer (Boniface) Smith, and grandchildren Claire Smith, Jason Smith, and Rebecca Smith; nieces Roberta Ferdschneider and Angie Ferdschneider and nephew, Harvey Ferdschneider; and great-nieces Juliette Ferdschneider, Edith (Ferdschneider) Fraser, Leah Ferdschneider, and Maya Ferdschneider. She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Elpern Smith; mother, Ruth (Freitag) Sweetman; father, James (Jakob) Sweetman (formerly Sussman); sisters Edith (“Dita”) Ferdschneider and Inge (“Mary”) Yagendorf; and nephew Mark Ferdschneider.
Eleanor was born in 1940 in New York, New York, one year after her parents and teenage sisters arrived from Gdansk, Poland, narrowly escaping extermination in World War II. She was named after Eleanor Roosevelt and nicknamed “Goldie” because of her blond curls and striking green eyes. She was adored and doted on by her parents and sisters and grew up in a lively home as her family created a new life in America. Her sister Dita soon married and established a family and a home in Hicksville, N.Y. Eleanor’s niece, Roberta, was born when Eleanor was 7 years old, the first of many babies she would help raise. Her nephews, Harvey and Mark, arrived a few years later. Her younger life was spent going back and forth between her home in Washington Heights, New York, and Hicksville, where there was always an open door and a constant stream of friends and neighbors dropping by the house. Anyone want Sanka?
Eleanor attended The High School of Music and Art (the subject of the movie “Fame”) in New York City and played cello and piano. After high school, Eleanor attended City College of New York and earned a master’s degree in special education. She deeply enjoyed teaching children with many types of special needs for her entire career including in New York, Shelton, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. She also volunteered to teach English to Russian Jewish refugees, some of whom became lifelong friends.
Eleanor married her beloved husband, Bob, in 1963 and supported him while he was in dental school. They settled in Milford, Connecticut, where he opened a dental practice and she chose to stay home with her young children Lee and Randi. She returned to teaching when Lee and Randi were both older, and she was always at home with them after school.
Eleanor carried on her sister’s tradition of having an open door, and she and Bob frequently welcomed friends and family into their home. Eleanor hosted hundreds of family gatherings over the years, preparing large spreads and doing most of the work herself, deriving great joy and pleasure from having her family and friends all together around the table.
She was elated to host her nephew Mark and his wife Angie from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and their children Edith and Leah for many summers, and even to help when they were born in New Haven.
She was overjoyed to welcome her niece Roberta and great-niece Juliette for many visits and gatherings. Eleanor kept many toys and books on hand for decades, so that any children who came over could enjoy them.
Eleanor was an avid cellist into her 80s and loved classical music and opera to her core. She always had classical music playing on the radio in her home. She visited Tanglewood to hear live music as often as she could. She would participate in dozens of orchestras and quartets throughout her life. She also enjoyed hosting quartets, attending music camps, and even participating in Brookline Porchfest. A major highlight of Eleanor’s musical career was when she was chosen to play in a concert with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston in 2015 at age 75, where her children and grandchildren proudly watched and listened.
After her husband, Bob, passed away in 2012, she moved to Concord to be close to her children and grandchildren. She was very active with local orchestras and quartets and delighted in regularly picking up and staying with her grandchildren after school and on weekends.
Eleanor will be dearly missed and remembered for her warmth, humor, sincerity, kindness, and generosity of spirit.
Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, November 24, at The Umbrella Center for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, with a reception to follow at noon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West Street Amherst, MA 01002 or www.yiddishbookcenter.org; Boston Symphony Orchestra, 304 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 or www.bso.org; or a local public classical radio station.
Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, concordfuneral.com.
