Eleanor Wingard

Eleanor (Valerio) Wingard, age 67, passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation, West Hartford, CT. Eleanor was born in Cambridge, MA on August 1, 1949 to Mary (Gomes DaSilva) Valerio and Manuel Valerio. She attended St. Agnes School and Arlington Catholic High School, where she volunteered through Fidelity House. She was involved in Girl Scouts from a young age and earned the Marian Award--one of the highest honors for Catholic Girl Scouts. After graduating from high school, Eleanor started her career as a secretary working for the Ealing film and production company, and Metropolitan Life, in Boston. She also volunteered as a candy striper at Winchester Hospital. Eleanor married Warren Wingard of Arlington, MA, and moved to Woburn, MA, where she spent 42 years. After choosing to stay home with her children in their early years, she became a nanny, to several families, and was truly reminiscent of Mary Poppins. She loved spending her time doing arts and crafts, planning parties, fishing with her son, and scrapbooking with her daughter. She didn't have pets when she was young and as a result welcomed every four-footed animal (and some snakes!) into her home with pleasure during adulthood. She often said that the greatest joy of her life was raising her children. She was a "soccer mom" before the phrase was coined--going to all her son's and daughter's sports and activities, volunteering in their library classes, making their costumes for Halloween--the list goes on and on. When her daughter and son went away to college, she continued her generosity by sending daily letters and care packages full of cookies to them and their friends. In her later years, spending time with her five grandchildren became Eleanor's true passion. She moved to Avon, CT to be closer to her daughter's family, and was often planning taco night, movie sleep-overs, and ice cream sundae events with the kids. While she struggled with health issues, she was amazingly resilient and made many dear friends in her new community. Eleanor leaves behind her two children, Jennifer (Wingard) Haddad and her husband, Chris, of West Hartford, CT, and Brad Wingard and his wife, Darcy (Graser) Wingard, of Shrewsbury, MA. She was the grandmother of five: Henry, Jack, Mary Margaret, Travis and Tyler. She also leaves behind many dear cousins and friends, who meant the world to her. She was predeceased by her father, Manuel Valerio, and her sister, Elaine Valerio; and is survived by her mother, Mary Valerio, and brother, John Valerio. Calling hours will be Sunday, May 7th from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 8th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 872 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Contributions in Eleanor's memory may be made to: Friends of the Avon Free Public Library (avonctlibrary.info); St. Labre Indian School (www.stlabre.org); or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org). Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com