Obituary of Eleanor Louise Stillwell

REGISTER HERE TO VIEW THE LIVE SERVICE

STILLWELL, Eleanor Louise (Monteith)

March 22, 1928 – April 5, 2025

Eleanor Stillwell of Frederick Hall-Shannex, 379 Rainsford Lane, Fredericton, NB formerly of Ste. Anne’s Court, 81 Duncan Lane, Fredericton, NB, passed away on April 5, 2025, at the age of 97. Eleanor was born on March 22, 1928, in North Devon, NB, a daughter of the late Howard Monteith and Margaret Teresa (Barter) Monteith.

Eleanor is survived by her children, Brenda (John) of Fredericton, Colleen of Yoho Lake, Marilyn (Kevin) of Fredericton, Roy (Ellen) of Hanwell, Eloise of Mactaquac; her daughter-in-law, Kim of Keswick Ridge; 17 grandchildren, Mark, Stephen, Ryan, John, Colin, Kiera, Anne, Emily, Ian, Ross, Brett, Kaleb, Kyle, Carly, Wesley, Quinton, Makayla; several great-grandchildren; her sisters, Ruby McNabb, Shirley Hovey (Gordon), Nancy Costell (Doug); two sisters-in-law, Norma (Primeau) Monteith, and Joan (Mair) Monteith; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her infant daughter Elizabeth (Beth), her husband Merlyn Stillwell, and her son Peter. She was also predeceased by her brothers and their wives, Donald (Cora), James, Jack (Jean), and David, and her sisters and their husbands, Elizabeth (Fred), and Dorothy (William). She was also predeceased by her brother-in-law Alison McNabb, and her brother-in-law and his wife, Olin Stillwell (Margery).

Eleanor’s second husband, Norman (‘Nod’) Chessie of Yoho Lake, died in 2002. Eleanor’s third husband, Kenneth Machin of Ste. Anne’s Court, died in 2013.

Eleanor was brought up at 83 St. Mary’s Street in Devon, the third of ten children. Her earliest memories are of her maternal grandparents’ farm (Grandpa Jack & Grandma Annie) in Penniac, N.B., where she and her brother Jim helped in the fields and with the horses. Her great-grandmother, Grandma Machum, and her great-grandmother, Grandma Price also lived at the farm. Her whole family spent several summers at their log cabin at the edge of the farm in Penniac and learned to swim in the Nashwaak River. Eleanor attended grade school at the Devon Superior School and was a student of Mary Grannan, who taught her recitation as a youngster. Eleanor later attended Fredericton High School, at the George Street location. In 1945 she graduated at the age of 17, and made her part-time job at Woolworth’s, on Queen Street, a full-time one, until she turned 18, with a goal to go into Nursing training, a 3-year program offered in Saint John, NB. She became an RN and returned to Fredericton to be employed at the Victoria Public Hospital, working on different floors such as surgery and the children’s ward. After she married Merlyn in 1951, she worked until she started having children then they purchased a house at Keswick Ridge in 1954. In 1964 they rented and then purchased the camp at Yoho Lake and every summer afterwards the family relocated there, where they enjoyed lots of company during July and August, then returned to Keswick Ridge in the Fall. During the winter months, when the children were younger, the whole family took up downhill skiing, mainly at Crabbe Mountain, although they also travelled to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine a couple of times as a family and with the boyfriends.

Eleanor began working again after a nursing refresher course in Saint John, seventeen years after becoming an RN, and worked in the Operating Room at the VPH Hospital in Fredericton for three years, from 1968-1971 and really enjoyed it. She then worked at York Manor for one year. Because she had taken a business course at night, she decided to work at the UNB Business Office which she did for several years until Merlyn became ill with abdominal cancer and died in 1977. She then worked for a few years for the Federal Government - and then married Norman (Nod) Chessie and moved to Yoho Lake. She and Nod travelled across Canada, lived in Vancouver for a couple of years, took trips to Cuba and to Disney World, and of course to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays play ball. Eleanor returned to Devon with Nod in her later years, and it was during this time that Eleanor became a founder of the Fredericton Northside Heritage Association.

For 10 years, beginning on May 1, 2008, Eleanor lived at Ste. Anne’s Court, 81 Duncan Lane, and really loved it there, especially playing cribbage with her friends. She met Ken Machin there, married him two years later and they spent a couple of happy years together. On May 1, 2018 at the age of 90 she moved to Governor Hall-Shannex, and finished her days at Frederick Hall-Shannex.

Eleanor has most recently been known for her beautiful tatting, her crocheting and her colourful knitted socks, which she loved to gift to anyone who would wear them. She lived life to the fullest and will be remembered by her family and friends as a caring individual who loved life, loved company, loved her family and had a generous heart. She will be missed!

We are very thankful to everyone at Ste. Anne’s Court, for the friendships and support Mom received while a resident there. Also, we would like to thank those who cared for her so lovingly and compassionately at Frederick Hall, Shannex, which was her home for close to five years.

A gathering of family and friends for a visitation will take place at York Funeral Home, 302 Brookside Drive, Fredericton, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 12 – 2 pm, with a Memorial Service following at 2 pm. A reception will follow the service. A graveside service will take place at the Fredericton Rural Extension Cemetery, Woodstock Road, Fredericton, at a later date for family members and close friends.