Eleanor (Ruth Barber) Malmfeldt

Feb. 12, 1927 – March 16, 2014

Eleanor (Ruth Barber) Malmfeldt died last month from complications from a stroke.

She attended The Chaffee School (‘44) in Windsor, CT. She attended Connecticut College, but transferred to Simmons College (‘48) once she married John Ford Malmfeldt. They moved to Mercer Island, WA, where they raised their four children. Ellie was involved with the PTA, Girl Scouts, and worked as the playground lady at East Seattle Elementary School. After earning her MLS at the UW, she returned east, serving as the school librarian at Mansfield Middle School for 23 years.

Her oldest daughter Barbara Baldwin (Howard) lives in Texas, as does her first granddaughter Lorraine Heath Smith (Scott), her first great-granddaughter Britney Knight and her only great-grandson Scott Smith, Jr.

Her second daughter Kit Malmfeldt lives in Everett, WA. Her daughter Emily Zevenbergen Sistrunk (Jacob) lives in Mill Creek, WA with the youngest of her great-granddaughters Jacey, Jillian, and Jocelyn, “JoJo”.

Her only son, Carl John Malmfeldt, lives in Kirkland, WA. Her two youngest grandchildren, John and David Malmfeldt, live on Mercer Island with their mother Laurie Rompannen Malmfeldt (Scott Ruggles).

Her youngest daughter [Ellen] Ashley Malmfeldt Shepherd (David) lives in NYC, with grandson Jeremy Elston Shepherd. Her granddaughter Anastasia Ruth Shepherd lives in Denmark.

Ellie moved to Charlottesville, VA over ten years ago to be live with Willis Abbey, a friend from Loomis-Chaffee days. A class reunion allowed them to find love in their seventies. She was never happier than she was in these last years. Her increased instability (after coping with a dystrophy called Charcot-Marie-Tooth all her life) caused her to move into RoseWood Village, just across the street from the Senior Center where Willis plays jazz piano. RoseWood, however, gave her new friends, wonderful care and kindness for which her family is forever grateful.

As she requested, there will be no services. Please give a contribution to your favorite charity in remembrance of Ellie. She will be missed by many, especially those loyal friends with whom she loved staying in touch by letter.